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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: mug · ground · arm · chip · pass · mark · field · branch

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. ground — crushed
  3. mark — a trace
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. ground — a position
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. mug — a face
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. ground — the earth
  13. field — farmland
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. chip — to eat
  16. pass — a permit
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. mark — a grade
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. branch — a division
  21. chip — for betting
  22. field — a subject
  23. mug — to rob
  24. mug — a cup

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