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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: arm · ball · can · ground · field · branch · prune · rock

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. ground — the earth
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — to be able to
  6. ground — a position
  7. can — a tin
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. prune — to trim
  10. field — farmland
  11. field — for sport
  12. ball — a dance
  13. rock — music
  14. prune — to trim
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. field — a subject
  18. rock — a stone
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. ball — a great time
  23. ground — crushed
  24. branch — a division

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