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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. field — for sport
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. club — for dancing
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. pass — a permit
  7. club — for golf
  8. season — in sport
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. field — a subject
  11. field — farmland
  12. pitch — completely
  13. degree — temperature
  14. degree — an amount
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. season — of the year
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. degree — from a university
  22. club — a group
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. pitch — a sports field

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