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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.

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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: drill · ground · stick · pass · cap · safe · field · bank

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. drill — army training
  3. bank — for money
  4. drill — a practice
  5. cap — a lid
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. bank — for money
  9. field — a subject
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. drill — the tool
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. field — farmland
  18. ground — crushed
  19. pass — a permit
  20. cap — a hat
  21. ground — a position
  22. cap — of ice
  23. ground — the earth
  24. bank — of a river

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