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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. bark — to shout
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. kid — child
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. field — farmland
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. charge — in control
  10. field — a subject
  11. field — for sport
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. chair — a leader
  17. kid — to tease
  18. charge — a price
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. charge — electricity
  21. mark — a trace
  22. pound — a weight
  23. mark — a grade
  24. chair — a professorship

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