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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 · fall · can · lean · club · ball · safe · drill

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. can — a tin
  3. field — a subject
  4. ball — a great time
  5. club — for dancing
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. lean — to bend
  8. field — for sport
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. fall — to drop
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. club — a group
  13. can — a tin
  14. fall — to drop
  15. field — farmland
  16. drill — the tool
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. lean — thin
  19. ball — a dance
  20. drill — a practice
  21. drill — army training
  22. fall — the season
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. club — for golf

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