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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 124 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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. fall — the season
  4. field — farmland
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. fine — all right
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. branch — a division
  10. field — for sport
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. craft — boats
  13. fall — to drop
  14. mate — to breed
  15. fine — high quality
  16. mate — a friend
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — the animal
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. craft — a skill
  23. mate — a partner
  24. fall — to drop

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