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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
468
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 · ground · field · fine · wound · mate · tube · suit

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. mate — a friend
  4. fine — all right
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. field — for sport
  8. tube — the underground
  9. suit — in cards
  10. suit — to fit
  11. branch — a division
  12. ground — crushed
  13. wound — an injury
  14. fine — high quality
  15. field — farmland
  16. field — a subject
  17. suit — clothes
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. tube — a container
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mate — a partner
  24. ground — the earth

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