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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 116 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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. field — a subject
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. branch — a division
  5. fall — the season
  6. field — for sport
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. fall — to drop
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pit — in a race
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. field — farmland
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. spell — letters
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bass — low music
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bore — to drill
  23. spell — a short time
  24. branch — of a tree

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