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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. chair — a leader
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. branch — a division
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. pitch — completely
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. bound — certain
  10. lean — thin
  11. lean — to bend
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. field — for sport
  14. bound — obliged
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. bound — tied together
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. field — farmland
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. field — a subject

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