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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  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. fine — high quality
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. firm — steady
  4. field — for sport
  5. field — farmland
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. fine — all right
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. pit — in a race
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. net — for catching
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. branch — a division
  16. firm — decided
  17. net — in sport
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. firm — a company
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. pit — a hole
  22. net — after costs
  23. branch — of a bank
  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