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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 · degree · firm · saw · field · pitch · safe · current

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. saw — the tool
  4. current — electric
  5. firm — steady
  6. saw — the tool
  7. firm — decided
  8. current — of water
  9. field — for sport
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. firm — a company
  12. pitch — completely
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bound — certain
  15. current — happening now
  16. field — farmland
  17. degree — an amount
  18. degree — from a university
  19. degree — temperature
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. bound — tied together
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. field — a subject
  24. safe — out of danger

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