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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. field — for sport
  3. club — for golf
  4. field — farmland
  5. club — for dancing
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. press — to push
  9. field — a subject
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. mug — to rob
  13. press — newspapers
  14. press — a publisher
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. mug — a face
  18. march — music
  19. march — the month
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. branch — a division
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. mug — a cup
  24. march — the month

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