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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. mine — for digging
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. rest — what's left
  5. branch — a division
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bore — to drill
  8. toast — bread
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. current — happening now
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. bore — to tire
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. rest — what's left
  16. current — electric
  17. field — farmland
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. current — of water
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. field — a subject
  24. rest — a break

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