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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 · ball · charge · safe · bear · spring · clip · stand

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. spring — a coil
  4. charge — electricity
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. bear — the animal
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bear — the animal
  13. clip — to cut
  14. clip — a video
  15. charge — in control
  16. field — a subject
  17. spring — of water
  18. spring — the season
  19. ball — a great time
  20. field — for sport
  21. stand — to bear
  22. charge — a price
  23. field — farmland
  24. clip — for paper

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