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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. bear — the animal
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. branch — a division
  5. field — a subject
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. rule — government
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. field — for sport
  10. capital — money
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. rule — a law
  13. bear — the animal
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. pit — in a race
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rush — hurry
  21. field — farmland
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. capital — a city

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