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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. branch — a division
  4. field — a subject
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. content — the amount
  7. prune — to trim
  8. field — farmland
  9. kick — in football
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. field — for sport
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. content — happy
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. perch — the fish
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. prune — to trim

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