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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: scale · craft · safe · pop · foot · tear · track · field

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. craft — a skill
  3. foot — a measure
  4. pop — to visit
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. track — a path
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. field — farmland
  10. field — for sport
  11. track — to keep track
  12. tear — to rip
  13. tear — from crying
  14. pop — soda
  15. track — a song
  16. scale — in music
  17. scale — size or range
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. craft — boats
  22. field — a subject
  23. pop — music
  24. scale — for weighing

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