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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. cell — in biology
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. roll — a list
  9. cell — a phone
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. plane — a tool
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. roll — a cake
  16. stem — to come from
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. field — farmland
  19. field — for sport
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. chip — for betting
  24. chip — to eat

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