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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. field — farmland
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. degree — from a university
  6. field — a subject
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. ball — a great time
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. degree — temperature
  14. craft — boats
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rush — hurry
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. field — for sport
  19. ball — a dance
  20. craft — a skill
  21. bear — the animal
  22. degree — an amount
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. branch — a division

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