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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: bore · wound · safe · date · track · field · stand · game

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wound — an injury
  3. field — farmland
  4. track — a song
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. field — a subject
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. date — the fruit
  9. game — wild animals
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. bore — to drill
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. track — a path
  15. field — for sport
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. bore — to tire
  18. track — to keep track
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. stand — to bear
  21. game — a match
  22. wound — an injury
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. safe — a strongbox

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