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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. stock — shares
  8. field — farmland
  9. field — for sport
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. drill — a practice
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. drill — army training
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. stock — goods
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. squash — the sport
  20. drill — the tool
  21. squash — to crush
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. field — a subject
  24. stock — a soup base

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