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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: cue · rock · race · bulb · field · safe · cap · fine

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. cap — a lid
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. race — a contest
  5. race — the arms race
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. field — a subject
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. bulb — for light
  11. cue — for pool
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bulb — for light
  14. cap — of ice
  15. race — humankind
  16. field — farmland
  17. fine — high quality
  18. rock — a stone
  19. rock — music
  20. cap — a hat
  21. field — for sport
  22. cue — a signal
  23. cue — a hint
  24. bulb — of a plant

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