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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 116 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: deal · lean · cabinet · swing · game · coach · branch · perch

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. branch — a division
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. swing — in golf
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. swing — music
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. perch — the fish
  11. deal — to handle
  12. game — a match
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. game — wild animals
  16. lean — thin
  17. swing — to play on
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. lean — to bend
  24. branch — of a tree

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