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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: plane · safe · calf · scale · sharp · press · field · mate

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. mate — to breed
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. press — to push
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. scale — in music
  8. scale — size or range
  9. field — farmland
  10. plane — a tool
  11. press — a publisher
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. sharp — clever
  15. press — newspapers
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. mate — a friend
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. mate — a partner
  24. field — a subject

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