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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: saw · field · safe · pop · last · squash · mate · ball

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. saw — the tool
  3. mate — a friend
  4. saw — the tool
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. field — for sport
  7. pop — to visit
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. field — farmland
  10. last — finally
  11. last — to go on
  12. ball — a great time
  13. pop — soda
  14. last — final
  15. field — a subject
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. pop — music
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. mate — a partner
  21. mate — to breed
  22. squash — to crush
  23. ball — a dance
  24. safe — a strongbox

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