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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: nail · scale · game · field · last · safe · fine · stock

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. stock — goods
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. fine — high quality
  7. scale — size or range
  8. field — a subject
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. last — finally
  12. scale — in music
  13. game — wild animals
  14. stock — shares
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. last — final
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. game — a match
  19. fine — all right
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. field — for sport
  23. field — farmland
  24. last — to go on

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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