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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 120 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: safe · arm · fan · temple · stock · bore · field · pitcher

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. bore — to tire
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. field — for sport
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. stock — goods
  10. stock — shares
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bore — to drill
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. field — a subject
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bore — gave birth

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