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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: field · branch · ball · pass · fall · shower · mate · swing

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. fall — to drop
  3. pass — a permit
  4. branch — a division
  5. mate — a friend
  6. ball — a dance
  7. fall — to drop
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. field — farmland
  10. mate — a partner
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. ball — a great time
  14. shower — rain
  15. field — a subject
  16. fall — the season
  17. mate — to breed
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. swing — in golf
  21. swing — music
  22. swing — to play on
  23. shower — to wash
  24. pass — to spend time

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