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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
468
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: rush · pitcher · field · safe · cold · arm · cap · march

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. cap — of ice
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. cold — not warm
  7. march — music
  8. field — for sport
  9. cap — a lid
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. cold — an illness
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rush — hurry
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. cap — a hat
  16. march — the month
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. field — a subject
  20. march — the month
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. field — farmland

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