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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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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: deal · game · branch · bay · board · field · jam · land

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. field — farmland
  6. land — a country
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. land — to come down
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. land — ground
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. game — a match
  15. board — to get on
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. field — for sport
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. branch — a division
  20. field — a subject
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. deal — to handle
  23. game — wild animals
  24. board — a committee

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