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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: fine · bank · mine · branch · field · jam · court · saw

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. court — for sport
  3. fine — high quality
  4. field — a subject
  5. field — for sport
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. branch — a division
  8. saw — the tool
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. saw — the tool
  11. fine — all right
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. court — of a king
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — of a river
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. field — farmland
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. mine — for digging
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. bank — for money

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