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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: safe · squash · sharp · bat · net · field · nail · bulb

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. net — for catching
  3. field — a subject
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. net — after costs
  7. bulb — for light
  8. squash — the sport
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. net — in sport
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. squash — to crush
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. bulb — for light
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. field — farmland
  21. sharp — clever
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bat — the animal

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