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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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. charge — a price
  4. lean — thin
  5. current — electric
  6. lean — to bend
  7. branch — a division
  8. field — for sport
  9. charge — in control
  10. current — of water
  11. field — farmland
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. pitch — completely
  14. prune — to trim
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. current — happening now
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. charge — electricity
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. prune — to trim

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