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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: club · branch · wake · safe · wave · field

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. club — for dancing
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. field — a subject
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. branch — a division
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wake — a trail
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. field — farmland
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. club — a group
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. field — for sport
  18. club — for golf

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