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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
468
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 · field · mate · squash · tube · capital · stick · scale

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. field — for sport
  3. mate — to breed
  4. tube — the underground
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. tube — a container
  8. squash — the sport
  9. squash — to crush
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. scale — size or range
  12. capital — money
  13. scale — in music
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. field — farmland
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. mate — a partner
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. capital — a city
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. mate — a friend

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