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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. press — to push
  3. field — for sport
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. press — newspapers
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. stock — shares
  11. pound — a weight
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. row — to paddle
  14. stock — goods
  15. rash — hasty
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. row — a line
  18. field — farmland
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. rash — a series
  21. branch — a division
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. press — a publisher
  24. temple — a place of worship

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