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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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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: cue · saw · chair · fork · field · band · safe · pass

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. fork — in a road
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. field — farmland
  5. pass — a permit
  6. saw — the tool
  7. cue — for pool
  8. chair — a leader
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. cue — a hint
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. field — for sport
  14. band — a ring
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. field — a subject
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. saw — the tool
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. cue — a signal
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. band — a rubber band

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