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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. rule — a law
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. field — farmland
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. field — a subject
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. ball — a dance
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. track — a song
  13. track — to keep track
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. ball — a great time
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. rule — government
  18. track — a path
  19. field — for sport
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. branch — a division
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. mouse — the animal

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