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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: field · mark · fine · safe · branch · craft · spell · hand

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. fine — all right
  6. fine — high quality
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. mark — a trace
  10. field — farmland
  11. hand — in cards
  12. craft — a skill
  13. field — a subject
  14. branch — a division
  15. spell — magic
  16. hand — help
  17. spell — a short time
  18. mark — a grade
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. craft — boats
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. spell — letters
  24. field — for sport

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