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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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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. field — farmland
  3. cap — a hat
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. branch — a division
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. field — a subject
  13. cap — a lid
  14. chip — for betting
  15. field — for sport
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. bark — to shout
  18. chip — to eat
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. pit — in a race
  21. cap — of ice
  22. pit — a hole
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. bark — of a tree

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