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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. field — a subject
  3. rash — hasty
  4. sharp — clever
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. bank — for money
  7. hand — help
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. club — for golf
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. field — farmland
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. rash — a series
  15. hand — in cards
  16. club — for dancing
  17. bank — for money
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. club — a group
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. bank — of a river
  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