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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: field · suit · land · coach · ground · bound · date · branch

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. bound — tied together
  3. land — ground
  4. land — to come down
  5. field — farmland
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. suit — to fit
  9. date — the fruit
  10. field — a subject
  11. land — a country
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. field — for sport
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. branch — a division
  18. ground — the earth
  19. bound — obliged
  20. ground — crushed
  21. ground — a position
  22. bound — certain
  23. suit — clothes
  24. suit — in cards

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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