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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 116 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: saw · branch · march · calf · ground · lash · field · club

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. field — a subject
  4. saw — the tool
  5. branch — a division
  6. ground — a position
  7. march — music
  8. club — for dancing
  9. field — farmland
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. field — for sport
  12. ground — crushed
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. march — the month
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. ground — the earth
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. march — the month
  22. club — for golf
  23. saw — the tool
  24. club — a group

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