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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: club · field · scale · hide · wake · nail · branch · ground

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. club — for dancing
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. scale — size or range
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. scale — in music
  9. ground — the earth
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. field — farmland
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. ground — crushed
  16. wake — a trail
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. club — for golf
  19. ground — a position
  20. club — a group
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. field — a subject
  23. branch — a division
  24. field — for sport

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