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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. rash — hasty
  3. field — for sport
  4. ground — the earth
  5. branch — a division
  6. ground — crushed
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. drill — a practice
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. ground — a position
  12. rest — what's left
  13. field — a subject
  14. rest — a break
  15. drill — the tool
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. drill — army training
  19. field — farmland
  20. rash — a series
  21. rest — what's left
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. safe — a strongbox

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