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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. field — a subject
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. field — for sport
  5. present — the time now
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. present — a gift
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mug — a cup
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. branch — a division
  15. dip — to sink
  16. present — there
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. mug — a face
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rush — hurry
  22. field — farmland
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. stand — to bear

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