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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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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 · ground · cap · lean · branch · rock · chest · board

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. lean — thin
  3. lean — to bend
  4. ground — the earth
  5. chest — a box
  6. cap — a lid
  7. cap — of ice
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. field — farmland
  10. ground — a position
  11. chest — of your body
  12. board — to get on
  13. cap — a hat
  14. field — a subject
  15. rock — a stone
  16. board — a committee
  17. ground — crushed
  18. rock — music
  19. field — for sport
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. chest — of your body
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. branch — a division

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