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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. field — a subject
  3. scale — in music
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. ball — a great time
  7. field — for sport
  8. tube — the underground
  9. mug — a cup
  10. ball — a dance
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. field — farmland
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. rash — hasty
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. scale — size or range
  18. mug — a face
  19. branch — a division
  20. tube — a container
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. mug — to rob

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