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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 120 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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. race — a contest
  3. pit — in a race
  4. pit — a hole
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. race — the arms race
  7. field — for sport
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. branch — a division
  10. field — a subject
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. field — farmland
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. fine — high quality
  16. lean — thin
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. lean — to bend
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. race — humankind
  22. fine — all right
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. perch — the fish

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