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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: field · bound · branch · ground · pass · chip · rock · calf

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. branch — a division
  4. bound — obliged
  5. chip — to eat
  6. field — a subject
  7. field — for sport
  8. field — farmland
  9. pass — a permit
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. ground — a position
  14. ground — crushed
  15. chip — for betting
  16. bound — certain
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. rock — a stone
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. bound — tied together
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. ground — the earth

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