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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 120 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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. field — for sport
  6. club — for golf
  7. ground — the earth
  8. field — a subject
  9. ground — a position
  10. club — for dancing
  11. branch — a division
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. deal — to handle
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. stem — to come from
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. ground — crushed
  19. kid — child
  20. kid — to tease
  21. pass — a permit
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. field — farmland
  24. club — a group

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