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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 has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. scale — size or range
  4. field — farmland
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. stock — shares
  10. band — a music group
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. stock — goods
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. scale — in music
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. plane — a tool
  20. field — for sport
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. band — a ring
  24. field — a subject

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