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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: field · net · sharp · safe · cabinet · object · stick · pop

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. field — a subject
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. field — farmland
  6. net — for catching
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. object — an aim
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. pop — soda
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. object — a thing
  15. net — after costs
  16. pop — music
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. field — for sport
  20. sharp — clever
  21. object — to protest
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. pop — to visit
  24. net — in sport

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