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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. ground — a position
  3. field — a subject
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. field — for sport
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. ground — crushed
  9. branch — a division
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. clip — a video
  12. field — farmland
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. bore — to drill
  15. ground — the earth
  16. clip — to cut
  17. bore — to tire
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. clip — for paper

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