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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 116 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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. race — the arms race
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. season — in sport
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. race — humankind
  10. race — a contest
  11. field — a subject
  12. ball — a great time
  13. ground — the earth
  14. field — farmland
  15. lie — to recline
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. ground — crushed
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. season — of the year
  20. ball — a dance
  21. ground — a position
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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