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

Word bank: safe · stick · field · snap · race · deal

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. field — for sport
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. field — farmland
  6. field — a subject
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. deal — to handle
  9. race — humankind
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. race — a contest
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. snap — to click

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