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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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. pit — a hole
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. pit — in a race
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bat — the animal
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. field — a subject
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. field — farmland
  24. bat — for baseball

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