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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. field — a subject
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. net — after costs
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. bass — the fish
  10. net — for catching
  11. mark — a grade
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. branch — a division
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. bass — low music
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. net — in sport
  21. mark — a trace
  22. field — farmland
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. bass — the instrument

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