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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 116 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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. field — for sport
  3. lean — to bend
  4. rush — hurry
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. field — a subject
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. object — to protest
  13. present — a gift
  14. object — a thing
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. present — the time now
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. branch — a division
  19. present — there
  20. lean — thin
  21. object — an aim
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. field — farmland
  24. racket — for tennis

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