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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
468
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: pass · field · present · fine · last · firm · clip · safe

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. fine — all right
  4. field — a subject
  5. firm — steady
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. clip — to cut
  8. field — for sport
  9. clip — a video
  10. present — a gift
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. firm — decided
  13. pass — a permit
  14. present — the time now
  15. last — to go on
  16. fine — high quality
  17. last — finally
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. clip — for paper
  21. firm — a company
  22. field — farmland
  23. present — there
  24. last — final

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