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

Word bank: field · charge · rule · safe · saw · swing · scale · branch

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. field — for sport
  4. scale — in music
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. rule — a law
  8. branch — a division
  9. field — farmland
  10. scale — size or range
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. charge — a price
  13. charge — electricity
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. swing — music
  17. rule — government
  18. swing — in golf
  19. saw — the tool
  20. charge — in control
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. saw — the tool
  24. swing — to play on

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