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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: hand · pass · safe · root · spell · field

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. hand — help
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. spell — magic
  7. field — a subject
  8. field — farmland
  9. spell — a short time
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. root — the cause
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. root — of a word
  14. pass — a permit
  15. spell — letters
  16. root — of a plant
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. hand — in cards

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