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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  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. mug — to rob
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bank — of a river
  5. field — farmland
  6. bank — for money
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. fork — in a road
  9. bank — for money
  10. mug — a face
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. chest — of your body
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. mug — a cup
  15. chest — of your body
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. field — a subject
  18. perch — the fish
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. rule — government
  22. chest — a box
  23. rule — a law
  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