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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. field — for sport
  5. deal — to handle
  6. cap — of ice
  7. game — a match
  8. fork — in a road
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. last — to go on
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. cap — a lid
  15. last — final
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. game — wild animals
  18. fine — high quality
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. cap — a hat
  21. last — finally
  22. field — a subject
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. fine — all right

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