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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 116 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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. branch — a division
  3. field — a subject
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. sharp — clever
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. stock — shares
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. field — for sport
  11. field — farmland
  12. stem — to come from
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. stock — goods
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. rock — music
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. rock — a stone
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. sharp — exactly

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