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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: roll · safe · date · field · rash · track · board · hand

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. field — farmland
  3. roll — a list
  4. track — to keep track
  5. hand — help
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. field — a subject
  8. board — to get on
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. hand — in cards
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. track — a path
  14. roll — a cake
  15. rash — hasty
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. field — for sport
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. board — a committee
  21. track — a song
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. rash — a series
  24. date — on the calendar

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