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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 · fall · branch · lie · firm · swing · ball · mug

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. firm — a company
  3. mug — to rob
  4. field — a subject
  5. fall — to drop
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. fall — to drop
  9. mug — a face
  10. swing — in golf
  11. mug — a cup
  12. field — for sport
  13. lie — to recline
  14. swing — music
  15. swing — to play on
  16. ball — a great time
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. ball — a dance
  19. field — farmland
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. fall — the season
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. firm — decided
  24. firm — steady

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