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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: club · mine · field · leaves · cell · saw · safe · jam

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. saw — the tool
  4. club — for dancing
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. club — for golf
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. mine — for digging
  13. saw — the tool
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. club — a group
  20. field — for sport
  21. cell — in biology
  22. cell — a phone
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. field — a subject

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