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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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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: chair · pound · can · wake · track · branch · staff · swing

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. pound — a weight
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. can — a tin
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. swing — to play on
  8. track — a path
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. staff — a stick
  12. track — to keep track
  13. can — to be able to
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. swing — in golf
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. wake — a trail
  19. can — a tin
  20. chair — a leader
  21. staff — employees
  22. track — a song
  23. swing — music
  24. staff — employees

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