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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: rush · rest · deal · scale · pop · safe · calf · field

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rest — what's left
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. rest — a break
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. scale — size or range
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. rush — hurry
  17. field — a subject
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pop — music
  20. scale — in music
  21. field — for sport
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. deal — to handle
  24. pop — soda

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