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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. object — an aim
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. ball — a dance
  7. field — a subject
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. ball — a great time
  11. deal — to handle
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. object — to protest
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. object — a thing
  16. field — farmland
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. season — of the year
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. field — for sport
  24. season — in sport

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