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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. cap — of ice
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. suit — to fit
  6. suit — in cards
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. suit — clothes
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. field — farmland
  12. field — for sport
  13. branch — a division
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. pop — to visit
  16. pop — music
  17. pop — soda
  18. cap — a lid
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. cap — a hat
  21. kid — child
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. kid — to tease

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