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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 · field · ball · ground · calf · squash · ruler · club

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. branch — a division
  3. club — for dancing
  4. ground — crushed
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ball — a dance
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. field — farmland
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. club — for golf
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. ball — a great time
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. ground — the earth
  18. field — a subject
  19. ground — a position
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. squash — to crush
  23. club — a group
  24. squash — the sport

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