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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. field — a subject
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. field — for sport
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. craft — a skill
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. cell — a phone
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. club — for golf
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. field — farmland
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. branch — a division
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. craft — boats
  23. club — for dancing
  24. club — a group

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