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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: hide · field · court · drill · ground · key · fine · safe

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. key — the most important part
  3. field — a subject
  4. ground — crushed
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. drill — the tool
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. key — for a lock
  9. ground — the earth
  10. ground — a position
  11. key — in music
  12. court — for sport
  13. fine — high quality
  14. court — of law
  15. field — for sport
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. drill — a practice
  19. field — farmland
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. court — of a king
  24. drill — army training

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