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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. field — for sport
  4. squash — to crush
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. capital — money
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mate — to breed
  13. field — a subject
  14. capital — a city
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. squash — the sport
  18. date — the fruit
  19. mate — a partner
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. racket — for tennis

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