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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: bound · field · prune · safe · capital · fine · ball · fork

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. capital — a city
  3. field — farmland
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. ball — a great time
  9. field — a subject
  10. fork — in a road
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bound — certain
  15. prune — to trim
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. bound — obliged
  21. fine — all right
  22. field — for sport
  23. fine — high quality
  24. capital — money

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