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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. content — the amount
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. suit — to fit
  10. suit — clothes
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. wake — a trail
  13. field — farmland
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. content — happy
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. wound — an injury
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. suit — in cards
  22. chair — a leader
  23. field — for sport
  24. safe — out of danger

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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