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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: ground · arm · nail · branch · lie · field · racket · mark

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. mark — a trace
  5. field — farmland
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. field — a subject
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. ground — crushed
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. lie — to recline
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. ground — the earth
  17. mark — a grade
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. field — for sport
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. branch — a division
  23. ground — a position
  24. arm — part of the body

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