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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. net — for catching
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. spring — of water
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. toast — bread
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. dip — to sink
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. pass — a permit
  15. net — after costs
  16. spring — the season
  17. field — farmland
  18. net — in sport
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. field — for sport
  21. field — a subject
  22. spring — a coil
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. branch — a division

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