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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: fan · can · deal · march · trunk · swing · cap · branch

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. cap — a lid
  3. swing — in golf
  4. deal — to handle
  5. can — to be able to
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. march — the month
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. can — a tin
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. cap — a hat
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. cap — of ice
  15. branch — a division
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. march — music
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. can — a tin
  22. swing — to play on
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. swing — music

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