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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: staff · trunk · safe · object · field · racket · ground · rule

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  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. ground — crushed
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. ground — a position
  4. field — farmland
  5. staff — employees
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. rule — government
  8. object — a thing
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. object — an aim
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. field — a subject
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. staff — employees
  17. object — to protest
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. staff — a stick
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. field — for sport
  22. ground — the earth
  23. rule — a law
  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