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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. key — in music
  3. cap — a hat
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. field — for sport
  6. field — farmland
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. mark — a grade
  9. key — for a lock
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. cap — a lid
  12. race — a contest
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. field — a subject
  15. cap — of ice
  16. race — the arms race
  17. key — the most important part
  18. mark — a trace
  19. scale — in music
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. race — humankind
  22. scale — size or range
  23. plane — a tool
  24. scale — for weighing

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