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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  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. field — for sport
  2. branch — a division
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. field — a subject
  9. swing — music
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. rock — a stone
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. swing — to play on
  19. swing — in golf
  20. stem — to come from
  21. field — farmland
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. rock — music
  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