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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: jam · branch · swing · rush · roll · present · bowl · board

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. rush — hurry
  5. board — a committee
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. swing — in golf
  9. present — there
  10. roll — a cake
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. branch — a division
  15. board — to get on
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. swing — music
  18. roll — a list
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. present — the time now
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. present — a gift
  24. bowl — a football final

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