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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. current — of water
  3. stem — to come from
  4. branch — a division
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. field — for sport
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. field — farmland
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. fine — all right
  15. kid — child
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. current — electric
  18. fine — high quality
  19. kid — to tease
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. current — happening now
  24. field — a subject

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