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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 120 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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. field — farmland
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. pitch — completely
  6. current — electric
  7. content — happy
  8. current — happening now
  9. wax — to grow
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. current — of water
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. content — the amount
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. field — for sport
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. field — a subject

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