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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: bat · scale · stem · branch · field · stick · present · wave

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. stem — to come from
  4. field — farmland
  5. present — the time now
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. scale — size or range
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. present — a gift
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. bat — the animal
  14. field — a subject
  15. scale — in music
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. present — there
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. branch — a division
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. field — for sport

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