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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. lean — to bend
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. field — a subject
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. charge — a price
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. chip — for betting
  10. file — a line of people
  11. charge — electricity
  12. file — a tool
  13. file — a document
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. chip — to eat
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. field — farmland
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — for light
  22. lean — thin
  23. field — for sport
  24. charge — in control

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