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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: bowl · bore · race · scale · field · rock · safe · deal

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. field — farmland
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. race — humankind
  6. deal — to handle
  7. race — a contest
  8. bore — to drill
  9. field — a subject
  10. scale — in music
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. scale — size or range
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. rock — music
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bore — to tire
  18. race — the arms race
  19. rock — a stone
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. field — for sport
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. bowl — a football final

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