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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 · pit · swing · foot · field · club · charge · chip

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. club — for dancing
  3. charge — a price
  4. chip — for betting
  5. pit — a hole
  6. charge — electricity
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. pit — in a race
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. club — a group
  11. swing — music
  12. branch — a division
  13. chip — to eat
  14. club — for golf
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. charge — in control
  19. swing — to play on
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. field — for sport
  22. foot — a measure
  23. field — farmland
  24. field — a subject

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