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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. shower — rain
  3. bark — to shout
  4. ball — a dance
  5. branch — a division
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. ball — a great time
  8. shower — to wash
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. staff — a stick
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. field — for sport
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — employees
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. toast — bread
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. field — farmland

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