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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: ground · branch · land · file · leaves · object · racket · rock

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. land — ground
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. object — an aim
  7. file — a document
  8. rock — music
  9. ground — crushed
  10. land — a country
  11. file — a tool
  12. ground — the earth
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. ground — a position
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. object — to protest
  17. file — a line of people
  18. rock — a stone
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. land — to come down
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. object — a thing

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