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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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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 · tear · racket · calf · squash · branch · firm · foot

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. field — for sport
  3. foot — a measure
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — from crying
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. field — a subject
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. tear — to rip
  17. squash — the sport
  18. field — farmland
  19. firm — a company
  20. squash — to crush
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. firm — steady
  23. firm — decided
  24. branch — of a bank

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