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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. bore — to drill
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pitch — completely
  7. field — for sport
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. field — farmland
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. field — a subject
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. last — finally
  15. pass — a permit
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. row — a line
  19. last — final
  20. bore — to tire
  21. vault — a safe
  22. row — to paddle
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. last — to go on

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