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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. face — to confront
  6. pitch — completely
  7. game — a match
  8. field — for sport
  9. board — to get on
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. field — farmland
  13. firm — steady
  14. firm — decided
  15. game — wild animals
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. face — part of the head
  18. field — a subject
  19. firm — a company
  20. face — to point toward
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. board — a committee

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