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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: bound · rush · last · season · net · field · tube · safe

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. field — a subject
  3. bound — tied together
  4. season — in sport
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. tube — the underground
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. field — farmland
  11. field — for sport
  12. bound — obliged
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. tube — a container
  15. bound — certain
  16. net — in sport
  17. last — finally
  18. net — after costs
  19. net — for catching
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. last — to go on
  23. season — of the year
  24. last — final

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