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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
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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: field · stem · club · arm · toast · board · branch · fan

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. board — to get on
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. stem — to come from
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. field — for sport
  9. toast — bread
  10. branch — a division
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. club — for golf
  15. field — a subject
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. club — a group
  19. field — farmland
  20. club — for dancing
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. board — a committee

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