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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: root · pitcher · branch · nail · field · charge · scale · arm

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. scale — size or range
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. charge — in control
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. charge — a price
  8. scale — in music
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. field — for sport
  11. branch — a division
  12. field — farmland
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. root — of a plant
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. root — the cause
  20. charge — electricity
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. root — of a word
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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