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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. field — farmland
  3. fall — to drop
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. season — in sport
  6. tube — a container
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. track — to keep track
  9. track — a song
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. season — of the year
  13. tube — the underground
  14. branch — a division
  15. field — for sport
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. track — a path
  21. field — a subject
  22. fall — the season
  23. branch — of a tree
  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