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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 120 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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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: field · bear · safe · stock · key · pop · spell · rush

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. pop — music
  3. key — in music
  4. spell — magic
  5. rush — hurry
  6. bear — the animal
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bear — the animal
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. key — for a lock
  15. pop — to visit
  16. pop — soda
  17. stock — shares
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. spell — a short time
  20. field — a subject
  21. stock — goods
  22. field — farmland
  23. key — the most important part
  24. spell — letters

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