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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: fine · file · bay · field · safe · rash · fork · bat

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. bat — the animal
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. rash — a series
  6. fork — in a road
  7. fine — all right
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. field — for sport
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. fine — high quality
  16. file — a line of people
  17. file — a tool
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. file — a document
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. field — a subject
  22. rash — hasty
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. field — farmland

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