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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. field — for sport
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. mug — a cup
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. field — farmland
  8. board — to get on
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. present — a gift
  11. branch — a division
  12. race — humankind
  13. present — the time now
  14. race — the arms race
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. race — a contest
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. board — a committee
  21. present — there
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. field — a subject
  24. mug — to rob

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