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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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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: calf · fall · degree · season · field · branch · face · mark

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. degree — temperature
  5. field — a subject
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. season — in sport
  8. face — to point toward
  9. season — of the year
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. mark — a trace
  12. degree — from a university
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. face — part of the head
  15. fall — to drop
  16. face — to confront
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. fall — to drop
  19. field — farmland
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. degree — an amount
  22. fall — the season
  23. branch — a division
  24. mark — a grade

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