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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 120 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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Word bank
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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: racket · band · branch · march · swing · track · craft · can

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. swing — in golf
  3. swing — music
  4. track — a song
  5. band — a ring
  6. band — a music group
  7. swing — to play on
  8. can — a tin
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. can — to be able to
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. craft — a skill
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. craft — boats
  18. march — music
  19. march — the month
  20. branch — a division
  21. can — a tin
  22. track — a path
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. march — the month

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