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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.

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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: fine · squash · stock · safe · cabinet · spell · content · field

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. field — for sport
  3. field — a subject
  4. squash — to crush
  5. fine — high quality
  6. squash — the sport
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. spell — letters
  13. content — the amount
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stock — goods
  16. content — happy
  17. fine — all right
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. spell — magic
  20. spell — a short time
  21. field — farmland
  22. stock — shares
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. cabinet — ministers

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