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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 120 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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. spell — a short time
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. branch — a division
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. field — a subject
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. prune — to trim
  15. field — for sport
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. field — farmland
  20. prune — to trim
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. spell — magic
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. arm — part of the body

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