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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. branch — a division
  3. land — ground
  4. swing — in golf
  5. face — to point toward
  6. face — to confront
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bulb — for light
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. land — to come down
  15. field — for sport
  16. swing — music
  17. bank — for money
  18. face — part of the head
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. land — a country
  21. swing — to play on
  22. bank — for money
  23. bulb — for light
  24. field — farmland

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