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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 120 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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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: snap · safe · mug · rush · fine · ball · field · content

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. field — a subject
  3. content — happy
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. fine — all right
  6. ball — a great time
  7. rush — hurry
  8. field — for sport
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. ball — a dance
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. field — farmland
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. mug — a face
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. mug — a cup
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. fine — high quality
  20. snap — to click
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. content — the amount
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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