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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 120 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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. ball — a great time
  3. field — farmland
  4. field — for sport
  5. bank — for money
  6. club — for golf
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. cap — of ice
  9. club — a group
  10. cap — a hat
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. bank — for money
  14. dip — to sink
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. club — for dancing
  18. cap — a lid
  19. ball — a dance
  20. stock — goods
  21. field — a subject
  22. bank — of a river
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. stock — shares

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