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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: branch · kid · cold · racket · march · swing · suit · pass

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. suit — in cards
  3. march — music
  4. suit — clothes
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. pass — a permit
  7. march — the month
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. cold — not warm
  11. branch — a division
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. swing — to play on
  15. kid — to tease
  16. swing — in golf
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. swing — music
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. cold — an illness
  21. march — the month
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. suit — to fit
  24. kid — child

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com