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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: field · club · cue · spell · branch · bear · firm · file

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. firm — steady
  3. file — a document
  4. branch — a division
  5. cue — a signal
  6. club — a group
  7. club — for golf
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. spell — letters
  10. file — a line of people
  11. field — farmland
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. cue — for pool
  15. field — a subject
  16. spell — a short time
  17. firm — decided
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. firm — a company
  20. spell — magic
  21. cue — a hint
  22. file — a tool
  23. club — for dancing
  24. branch — of a bank

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