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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 124 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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. chip — to eat
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. race — a contest
  8. branch — a division
  9. field — farmland
  10. field — a subject
  11. chip — for betting
  12. saw — the tool
  13. mark — a trace
  14. saw — the tool
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. race — humankind
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. mark — a grade
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. race — the arms race
  24. field — for sport

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