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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. shower — rain
  4. key — in music
  5. key — for a lock
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — for light
  8. field — a subject
  9. branch — a division
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. field — for sport
  12. key — the most important part
  13. bass — the fish
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. field — farmland
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. shower — to wash
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — the fish
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bass — low music
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. bass — the instrument

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