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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: pop · field · chair · mug · stem · branch · sharp · scale

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. field — farmland
  4. field — a subject
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. pop — to visit
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. scale — size or range
  9. field — for sport
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. stem — to come from
  12. chair — a leader
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. mug — a face
  17. branch — a division
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. pop — soda
  20. pop — music
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. mug — a cup
  23. scale — in music
  24. mug — to rob

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