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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 has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. field — farmland
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. field — a subject
  7. bulb — for light
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. fine — all right
  10. cap — a lid
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. field — for sport
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. fine — high quality
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bulb — for light
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. cap — of ice
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. cap — a hat
  24. bulb — of a plant

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