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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. field — a subject
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. field — farmland
  6. squash — to crush
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. rash — a series
  10. mate — a friend
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. board — a committee
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. pound — a weight
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. rash — hasty
  18. branch — a division
  19. board — to get on
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. mate — to breed
  22. squash — the sport
  23. field — for sport
  24. mate — a partner

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