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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. branch — a division
  3. ground — the earth
  4. field — farmland
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. wound — an injury
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. fork — in a road
  9. board — a committee
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. field — for sport
  12. bank — for money
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. field — a subject
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bank — of a river
  18. ground — crushed
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. wound — an injury
  23. ground — a position
  24. bank — for money

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