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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. court — of law
  3. field — for sport
  4. bank — of a river
  5. court — of a king
  6. bound — tied together
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. bank — for money
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. field — farmland
  13. bound — obliged
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. pop — music
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. pitch — completely
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. pop — soda
  20. court — for sport
  21. bank — for money
  22. branch — a division
  23. bound — certain
  24. bowl — to roll

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