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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 124 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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. charge — in control
  4. field — a subject
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. suit — to fit
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. net — after costs
  9. kick — in football
  10. branch — a division
  11. band — a music group
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. charge — electricity
  14. net — for catching
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. field — for sport
  18. field — farmland
  19. suit — in cards
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. suit — clothes
  22. band — a ring
  23. charge — a price
  24. nail — for a hammer

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