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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. field — for sport
  4. branch — a division
  5. track — a song
  6. saw — the tool
  7. field — farmland
  8. field — a subject
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. saw — the tool
  11. club — for golf
  12. court — of a king
  13. court — of law
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. track — to keep track
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. club — a group
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. track — a path
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. court — 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