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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. field — farmland
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. saw — the tool
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bass — the fish
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. branch — a division
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. wake — a trail
  17. field — for sport
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. stock — shares
  21. toast — bread
  22. bass — low music
  23. stock — goods
  24. wake — before a funeral

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