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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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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: branch · field · squash · scale · fine · patient · calf · leaves

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. scale — size or range
  3. field — farmland
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. scale — in music
  8. fine — high quality
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. field — a subject
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. field — for sport
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. fine — all right
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. squash — the sport
  22. branch — a division
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. squash — the vegetable

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