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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 · spring · ground · lash · safe · bass · jam · leaves

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. spring — the season
  6. field — for sport
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. ground — a position
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. bass — the fish
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. spring — a coil
  14. ground — the earth
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. ground — crushed
  20. spring — of water
  21. bass — low music
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. field — farmland
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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