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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. field — for sport
  4. pop — to visit
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. pop — music
  7. field — a subject
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. date — the fruit
  12. field — farmland
  13. pop — soda
  14. board — to get on
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. board — a committee
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. branch — of a bank

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