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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. field — farmland
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mate — a friend
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. field — for sport
  9. mate — a partner
  10. branch — a division
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. field — a subject
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. stand — to bear
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. mate — to breed
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. wake — a trail
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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