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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. field — farmland
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. staff — a stick
  10. file — a document
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. staff — employees
  14. root — of a plant
  15. file — a line of people
  16. file — a tool
  17. staff — employees
  18. vault — a safe
  19. field — a subject
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. stand — to bear
  22. field — for sport
  23. root — of a word
  24. root — the cause

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