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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: kick · ball · bass · field · safe · object · spring · race

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. ball — a dance
  5. object — an aim
  6. spring — of water
  7. field — for sport
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. race — humankind
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. field — a subject
  12. spring — a coil
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. bass — the fish
  15. race — a contest
  16. object — a thing
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bass — low music
  19. object — to protest
  20. race — the arms race
  21. kick — in football
  22. ball — a great time
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. spring — the season

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