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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 116 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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. field — a subject
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. field — for sport
  6. field — farmland
  7. current — of water
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. ball — a great time
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. sharp — clever
  14. current — electric
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. prune — to trim
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. prune — to trim
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. current — happening now
  23. branch — a division
  24. perch — the fish

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