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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. season — of the year
  4. present — the time now
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. season — in sport
  9. can — a tin
  10. present — a gift
  11. field — a subject
  12. field — for sport
  13. dip — to sink
  14. track — a song
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. present — there
  17. field — farmland
  18. can — to be able to
  19. track — a path
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. can — a tin
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. track — to keep track

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