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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 120 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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. field — farmland
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. stand — to bear
  8. branch — a division
  9. current — of water
  10. fine — all right
  11. prune — to trim
  12. present — there
  13. current — happening now
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. current — electric
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. present — the time now
  19. present — a gift
  20. field — for sport
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. fine — high quality
  24. field — a subject

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