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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. rule — government
  3. branch — a division
  4. field — a subject
  5. field — for sport
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. bear — the animal
  8. rock — music
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. rest — a break
  11. rule — a law
  12. rock — a stone
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. rest — what's left
  16. field — farmland
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bear — the animal

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