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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 120 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: board · ground · game · pop · branch · racket · track · stand

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. pop — music
  3. track — a path
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. board — to get on
  6. ground — a position
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. branch — a division
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. game — a match
  13. ground — the earth
  14. pop — soda
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. ground — crushed
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. pop — to visit
  19. track — a song
  20. board — a committee
  21. stand — to bear
  22. track — to keep track
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. branch — of a bank

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