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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 124 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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. firm — a company
  3. bear — the animal
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. field — for sport
  6. fine — high quality
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. firm — steady
  10. field — farmland
  11. fine — all right
  12. field — a subject
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. bear — the animal
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. pit — in a race
  18. sharp — clever
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. pit — a hole
  22. firm — decided
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bark — to shout

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