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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. field — farmland
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. field — for sport
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. board — a committee
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. lean — to bend
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. can — a tin
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lean — thin
  17. lie — to recline
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. branch — a division
  20. bark — to shout
  21. can — a tin
  22. board — to get on
  23. can — to be able to
  24. bark — of a tree

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