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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. race — humankind
  3. pit — a hole
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. rest — what's left
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. field — farmland
  11. pass — a permit
  12. branch — a division
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. field — a subject
  17. rest — a break
  18. rest — what's left
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. race — a contest
  21. race — the arms race
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. pit — in a race
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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