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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: lean · key · branch · ground · rush · temple · swing · field

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. lean — to bend
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. swing — in golf
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. key — the most important part
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. ground — a position
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. field — a subject
  13. ground — crushed
  14. rush — hurry
  15. lean — thin
  16. key — in music
  17. key — for a lock
  18. field — farmland
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. ground — the earth
  21. branch — a division
  22. swing — music
  23. swing — to play on
  24. branch — of a tree

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