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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. fine — all right
  3. field — farmland
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. current — electric
  8. fine — high quality
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. current — happening now
  13. field — a subject
  14. field — for sport
  15. branch — a division
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. capital — a city
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. capital — money
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. current — of water

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