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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 who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — the season
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bat — the animal
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. can — a tin
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. degree — an amount
  13. fine — all right
  14. can — to be able to
  15. degree — from a university
  16. can — a tin
  17. degree — temperature
  18. field — a subject
  19. field — for sport
  20. field — farmland
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. fall — to drop
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. fine — high quality

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