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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. craft — boats
  3. field — a subject
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. field — farmland
  7. capital — money
  8. rush — hurry
  9. capital — a city
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. craft — a skill
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. field — for sport
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. swing — to play on
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. swing — in golf
  20. swing — music
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. fan — a supporter

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