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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: field · lash · plane · branch · scale · arm · bark · board

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. branch — a division
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. bark — to shout
  10. field — farmland
  11. board — a committee
  12. field — a subject
  13. scale — size or range
  14. field — for sport
  15. board — to get on
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. plane — a tool
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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