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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: mark · key · land · branch · field · board · club · pitcher

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. key — the most important part
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. field — farmland
  5. field — for sport
  6. club — for dancing
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. branch — a division
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. club — for golf
  12. key — for a lock
  13. board — a committee
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. land — a country
  16. land — to come down
  17. club — a group
  18. key — in music
  19. mark — a trace
  20. land — ground
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. mark — a grade
  24. board — to get on

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