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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: field · nail · pit · safe · craft · press · mine · ground

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. press — a publisher
  3. field — a subject
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. ground — a position
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. craft — boats
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. pit — in a race
  12. field — for sport
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. mine — for digging
  15. pit — a hole
  16. ground — crushed
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. craft — a skill
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. press — to push
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. press — newspapers
  23. ground — the earth
  24. nail — on a finger

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