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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. field — farmland
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ball — a dance
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. field — for sport
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — the animal
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. field — a subject
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. prune — to trim
  20. ball — a great time
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. safe — out of danger

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