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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: branch · dip · spring · field · club · board · object · wax

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. object — to protest
  3. object — a thing
  4. spring — of water
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. field — for sport
  8. club — a group
  9. field — a subject
  10. branch — a division
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. dip — to sink
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. club — for golf
  17. spring — the season
  18. board — a committee
  19. field — farmland
  20. board — to get on
  21. spring — a coil
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. object — an aim
  24. wax — to grow

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