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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: stem · spell · stick · field · ball · face · branch · board

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. face — to confront
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. face — to point toward
  6. spell — a short time
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. field — a subject
  11. face — part of the head
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. branch — a division
  14. spell — letters
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. board — a committee
  18. stem — to come from
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. board — to get on
  21. field — for sport
  22. field — farmland
  23. ball — a dance
  24. spell — magic

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