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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.

Words on the sheet
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: rock · mine · field · cell · branch · fan · race · saw

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. field — farmland
  3. cell — in biology
  4. cell — a phone
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. field — a subject
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. rock — a stone
  10. race — a contest
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. saw — the tool
  15. mine — for digging
  16. race — humankind
  17. race — the arms race
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. branch — a division
  21. rock — music
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. saw — the tool

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