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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: nail · jam · charge · pop · field · safe · ruler · land

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. charge — a price
  5. land — a country
  6. charge — electricity
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. field — a subject
  10. field — farmland
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. pop — music
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. land — to come down
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. pop — soda
  20. field — for sport
  21. charge — in control
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. pop — to visit
  24. land — ground

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