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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
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: suit · drill · field · safe · season · content · straw · craft

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. season — in sport
  3. season — of the year
  4. craft — a skill
  5. craft — boats
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. field — farmland
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. suit — to fit
  11. drill — the tool
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. content — happy
  17. suit — in cards
  18. drill — a practice
  19. content — the amount
  20. field — for sport
  21. suit — clothes
  22. field — a subject
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. safe — out of danger

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