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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: branch · bat · club · press · field · track · hide · pit

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. field — for sport
  4. field — a subject
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. press — a publisher
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. club — a group
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. pit — in a race
  12. branch — a division
  13. track — a song
  14. press — newspapers
  15. club — for dancing
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. track — a path
  18. bat — the animal
  19. field — farmland
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. track — to keep track
  22. pit — a hole
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. press — to push

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