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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: leaves · wound · branch · field · stick · can · deal · board

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. wound — an injury
  3. board — a committee
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. wound — an injury
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. can — a tin
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. can — to be able to
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. board — to get on
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. can — a tin
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. field — farmland
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. field — a subject
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. deal — to handle
  21. branch — a division
  22. field — for sport
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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