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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. court — of a king
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. field — for sport
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. content — the amount
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. game — a match
  11. pass — a permit
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. root — of a word
  15. content — happy
  16. court — for sport
  17. root — the cause
  18. game — wild animals
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. field — farmland
  21. court — of law
  22. root — of a plant
  23. field — a subject
  24. game — a kind of play

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