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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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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: deal · stand · safe · content · kick · ruler · nail · field

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. field — farmland
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. kick — in football
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. content — the amount
  8. stand — to bear
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. content — happy
  12. field — a subject
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. field — for sport
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. deal — to handle
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. kick — with a leg

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