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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. last — finally
  3. field — farmland
  4. rock — a stone
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. field — a subject
  9. prune — to trim
  10. pitch — completely
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. prune — to trim
  13. field — for sport
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. scale — size or range
  16. rock — music
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. fine — high quality
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. fine — all right
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. last — to go on
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. last — final

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