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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: field · craft · bulb · squash · stock · firm · game · safe

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  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 — for sport
  3. bulb — for light
  4. stock — goods
  5. squash — the sport
  6. bulb — for light
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. field — a subject
  9. game — a match
  10. game — wild animals
  11. firm — a company
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. field — farmland
  14. firm — steady
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. firm — decided
  19. craft — a skill
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. squash — to crush
  22. stock — shares
  23. craft — boats
  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