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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. drill — a practice
  3. drill — the tool
  4. season — of the year
  5. field — for sport
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. branch — a division
  8. pop — soda
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. pop — to visit
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. field — farmland
  14. clip — a video
  15. pop — music
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bank — of a river
  19. field — a subject
  20. clip — for paper
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — for money
  23. clip — to cut
  24. drill — army training

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