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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. field — farmland
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. swing — music
  9. band — a ring
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. field — a subject
  12. swing — to play on
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. land — to come down
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. band — a music group
  20. swing — in golf
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. land — a country
  24. land — ground

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