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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. firm — decided
  4. charge — electricity
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. degree — an amount
  7. charge — a price
  8. degree — from a university
  9. root — the cause
  10. root — of a plant
  11. charge — in control
  12. firm — steady
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. bear — the animal
  15. field — farmland
  16. root — of a word
  17. field — for sport
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. firm — a company
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. degree — temperature
  22. bear — the animal
  23. field — a subject
  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