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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: staff · foot · branch · bark · pop · coach · pound · field

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. field — farmland
  6. field — for sport
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. pop — music
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. pop — soda
  13. foot — a measure
  14. pop — to visit
  15. field — a subject
  16. staff — employees
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. staff — a stick
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. staff — employees
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. pound — a weight
  24. branch — a division

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