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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: safe · march · staff · wake · stick · wind · mark · field

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. staff — employees
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. mark — a trace
  7. field — farmland
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. march — the month
  11. wind — moving air
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. march — the month
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. field — a subject
  16. staff — employees
  17. wake — a trail
  18. wind — moving air
  19. field — for sport
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. staff — a stick
  22. march — music
  23. mark — a grade
  24. wake — before a funeral

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