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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: field · hide · foot · game · firm · cue · squash · safe

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. firm — steady
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. firm — a company
  5. cue — for pool
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. field — a subject
  8. cue — a signal
  9. game — a match
  10. squash — the sport
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. field — farmland
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. foot — a measure
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. game — wild animals
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. cue — a hint
  21. field — for sport
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. firm — decided
  24. squash — to crush

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