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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: safe · fine · hand · jam · cabinet · scale · hide · field

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. fine — all right
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. scale — size or range
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. field — farmland
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hand — help
  15. field — a subject
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. scale — in music
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. field — for sport
  24. fine — high quality

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