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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. field — for sport
  3. current — electric
  4. field — farmland
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. drill — the tool
  7. club — for golf
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. root — the cause
  10. drill — army training
  11. current — of water
  12. chip — for betting
  13. degree — an amount
  14. chip — to eat
  15. root — of a plant
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. field — a subject
  18. current — happening now
  19. root — of a word
  20. degree — from a university
  21. club — a group
  22. drill — a practice
  23. club — for dancing
  24. degree — temperature

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