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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 120 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 stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. branch — a division
  3. bear — the animal
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. march — the month
  8. march — the month
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. march — music
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rock — music
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. field — farmland
  19. rule — government
  20. rock — a stone
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. field — a subject
  23. rule — a law
  24. bear — the 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