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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 116 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: bear · mate · field · stem · board · wake · pit · branch

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. board — a committee
  4. mate — to breed
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. wake — a trail
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. board — to get on
  9. branch — a division
  10. field — for sport
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. stem — to come from
  13. pit — in a race
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. field — farmland
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. field — a subject
  18. mate — a partner
  19. pit — a hole
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. bear — the animal
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. bear — the animal
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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