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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
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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: pop · rush · land · field · branch · game · can · stand

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. can — a tin
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. can — a tin
  5. field — farmland
  6. land — to come down
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. can — to be able to
  9. game — wild animals
  10. stand — to bear
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. pop — music
  14. land — a country
  15. pop — soda
  16. branch — a division
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. land — ground
  19. rush — hurry
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. field — for sport
  22. game — a match
  23. pop — to visit
  24. rush — a thrill

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