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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bass — low music
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. bear — the animal
  7. field — for sport
  8. branch — a division
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. key — in music
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bass — the fish
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — what's left
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. bear — the animal
  18. field — farmland
  19. key — the most important part
  20. field — a subject
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. key — for a lock
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. rest — a break

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