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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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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: ball · safe · field · temple · race · lash · bay · stock

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. field — a subject
  4. stock — goods
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. race — the arms race
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. race — humankind
  10. field — for sport
  11. field — farmland
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. stock — shares
  15. ball — a dance
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. race — a contest
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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