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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. mark — a grade
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. root — the cause
  8. field — for sport
  9. branch — a division
  10. field — a subject
  11. root — of a plant
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. root — of a word
  16. mark — a trace
  17. field — farmland
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. pit — in a race
  20. sharp — clever
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. pit — a hole
  24. fan — a supporter

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