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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: track · board · squash · branch · net · field · bay · rock

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. squash — the sport
  4. board — to get on
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. board — a committee
  7. net — in sport
  8. field — a subject
  9. track — to keep track
  10. squash — to crush
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. rock — music
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. branch — a division
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. track — a song
  18. field — for sport
  19. net — after costs
  20. field — farmland
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. rock — a stone
  24. net — for catching

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