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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 stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. mate — to breed
  3. mate — a partner
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. craft — boats
  6. mate — a friend
  7. root — the cause
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. craft — a skill
  10. root — of a word
  11. wax — to grow
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. root — of a plant
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. field — farmland
  19. branch — a division
  20. field — a subject
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. trunk — of a tree

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