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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: pitcher · ground · board · wound · branch · bay · mouse · leaves

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. ground — a position
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. wound — an injury
  11. board — to get on
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. ground — crushed
  14. wound — an injury
  15. branch — a division
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. board — a committee
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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