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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 116 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: field · vault · ball · branch · bore · club · lean · sharp

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. club — for golf
  3. branch — a division
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. lean — to bend
  6. club — a group
  7. field — farmland
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. vault — a safe
  12. ball — a great time
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. club — for dancing
  16. field — for sport
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. lean — thin
  19. sharp — clever
  20. field — a subject
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. bore — to tire
  23. ball — a dance
  24. bore — to drill

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