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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: rest · capital · safe · track · chair · cell · field · bay

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. rest — what's left
  4. track — to keep track
  5. track — a path
  6. cell — a phone
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. field — a subject
  9. rest — a break
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. cell — in biology
  12. rest — what's left
  13. track — a song
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. field — for sport
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. field — farmland
  18. capital — money
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. chair — a leader
  24. capital — a city

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