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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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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: pound · field · date · bowl · safe · object · kid · rule

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. object — to protest
  3. rule — government
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. field — a subject
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. kid — child
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. date — the fruit
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. kid — to tease
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. object — an aim
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. field — for sport
  19. field — farmland
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. rule — a law
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. pound — a weight

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