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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. cue — for pool
  4. cue — a hint
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. clip — for paper
  7. field — for sport
  8. field — a subject
  9. pit — in a race
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. field — farmland
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. foot — a measure
  15. clip — a video
  16. stand — to bear
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. pit — a hole
  19. press — a publisher
  20. cue — a signal
  21. clip — to cut
  22. press — newspapers
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. press — to push

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