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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. wound — an injury
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. staff — employees
  8. season — of the year
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. key — in music
  11. key — for a lock
  12. field — for sport
  13. season — in sport
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. staff — a stick
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. field — a subject
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. key — the most important part
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. field — farmland
  22. wound — an injury
  23. staff — employees
  24. season — to add flavour

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