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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. field — for sport
  6. rock — music
  7. field — farmland
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. stand — to bear
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. rock — a stone
  13. branch — a division
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. bat — the animal
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. field — a subject
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. rock — to move gently

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