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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: field · ruler · bank · plane · board · bowl · bass · branch

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. field — farmland
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. bank — for money
  6. branch — a division
  7. bass — the fish
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bass — low music
  12. board — to get on
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bank — of a river
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. field — a subject
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bank — for money
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. board — a committee
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. plane — a tool
  24. branch — of a tree

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