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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: branch · club · field · kid · object · fine · pass · foot

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. field — farmland
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. branch — a division
  6. club — for golf
  7. club — a group
  8. object — to protest
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. object — an aim
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. fine — all right
  15. fine — high quality
  16. field — for sport
  17. club — for dancing
  18. foot — a measure
  19. kid — child
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. field — a subject
  22. object — a thing
  23. pass — a permit
  24. kid — to tease

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