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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: field · pit · kid · season · plane · safe · club · nail

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. club — for dancing
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. club — a group
  8. club — for golf
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. pit — in a race
  11. field — farmland
  12. pit — a hole
  13. kid — child
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. season — of the year
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. field — a subject
  18. season — in sport
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. plane — a tool
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. kid — to tease

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