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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  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. field — farmland
  2. fine — high quality
  3. fine — all right
  4. snap — to click
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. hand — in cards
  8. march — the month
  9. suit — clothes
  10. suit — to fit
  11. field — for sport
  12. hand — help
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. march — the month
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. cap — a hat
  18. march — music
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. suit — in cards
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cap — a lid
  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