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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. rule — a law
  3. branch — a division
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. pass — a permit
  6. fine — high quality
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. current — happening now
  9. field — for sport
  10. stand — to bear
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. current — electric
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. current — of water
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. fine — all right
  20. field — a subject
  21. rule — government
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. field — farmland
  24. fine — a penalty

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