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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 116 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. False peace will not ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. last — to go on
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. field — a subject
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. staff — employees
  8. field — farmland
  9. last — final
  10. ball — a great time
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. ground — a position
  14. ground — crushed
  15. ground — the earth
  16. ball — a dance
  17. branch — a division
  18. last — finally
  19. staff — a stick
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. staff — employees
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. perch — the fish
  24. safe — a strongbox

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