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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. stock — shares
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. field — farmland
  12. stock — goods
  13. field — for sport
  14. branch — a division
  15. shower — to wash
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. shower — rain
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. calf — a young animal

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