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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: field · foot · safe · prune · bass · nail · staff · last

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  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. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. last — finally
  5. staff — a stick
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. staff — employees
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. field — for sport
  11. foot — a measure
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. staff — employees
  14. last — to go on
  15. prune — to trim
  16. last — final
  17. prune — to trim
  18. field — a subject
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. bass — low music
  21. bass — the fish
  22. field — farmland
  23. bass — the instrument
  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