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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: rule · fork · field · safe · pit · cabinet

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. field — a subject
  5. pit — a hole
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. fork — in a road
  8. rule — government
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. pit — in a race
  11. rule — a law
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. field — farmland
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — ministers

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