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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 116 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: race · safe · staff · ball · suit · field · stock · march

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. staff — a stick
  3. field — for sport
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. staff — employees
  6. march — music
  7. race — humankind
  8. suit — to fit
  9. ball — a great time
  10. race — a contest
  11. stock — goods
  12. race — the arms race
  13. suit — clothes
  14. stock — shares
  15. staff — employees
  16. march — the month
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. field — a subject
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. suit — in cards
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. march — the month
  23. ball — a dance
  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