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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. cell — in biology
  3. hand — in cards
  4. pit — a hole
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. present — a gift
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. bank — of a river
  10. field — for sport
  11. cell — a phone
  12. present — the time now
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. branch — a division
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. pit — in a race
  17. field — a subject
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. present — there
  20. stem — to come from
  21. bank — for money
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. bank — for money
  24. hand — help

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