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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. field — farmland
  3. field — for sport
  4. firm — steady
  5. cap — of ice
  6. club — for dancing
  7. branch — a division
  8. cap — a hat
  9. cap — a lid
  10. fork — in a road
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. rest — a break
  13. rest — what's left
  14. scale — in music
  15. firm — decided
  16. scale — size or range
  17. club — for golf
  18. firm — a company
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. field — a subject
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. rest — what's left
  23. club — a group
  24. branch — of a tree

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