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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. net — in sport
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. field — for sport
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. stand — to bear
  13. net — after costs
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mate — a friend
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. saw — the tool
  18. net — for catching
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. field — farmland
  22. saw — the tool
  23. mate — a partner
  24. field — a subject

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