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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: scale · safe · straw · field · charge · branch · track · bore

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. field — farmland
  4. field — a subject
  5. track — a song
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. track — a path
  9. branch — a division
  10. field — for sport
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. track — to keep track
  14. charge — a price
  15. scale — size or range
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. charge — electricity
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. bore — to drill
  20. charge — in control
  21. scale — in music
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. scale — for weighing

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