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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. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  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. last — to go on
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. mug — a cup
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. field — farmland
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. field — for sport
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. last — final
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. last — finally
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. mug — a face
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. mug — to rob
  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