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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.

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: current · field · tear · safe · branch · racket · pass · bass

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. tear — from crying
  3. field — for sport
  4. bass — the fish
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. branch — a division
  7. tear — to rip
  8. current — happening now
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. pass — a permit
  13. tear — from crying
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bass — low music
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. current — of water
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. field — a subject
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. current — electric

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