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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. object — a thing
  3. field — farmland
  4. spell — magic
  5. field — a subject
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. field — for sport
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. branch — a division
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. object — an aim
  15. pound — a weight
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. object — to protest
  18. spell — letters

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