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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 120 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: kick · field · staff · stand · branch · bass · fork · craft

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. branch — a division
  3. bass — the fish
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. stand — to bear
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. staff — employees
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. bass — low music
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. staff — a stick
  15. kick — in football
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. craft — a skill
  18. staff — employees
  19. field — farmland
  20. field — a subject
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. craft — boats
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. fork — in a road

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