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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: deal · field · squash · cell · stock · swing · spring · safe

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. field — for sport
  3. squash — to crush
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. swing — music
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. stock — shares
  8. field — a subject
  9. swing — in golf
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. spring — a coil
  12. stock — goods
  13. field — farmland
  14. deal — to handle
  15. spring — of water
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. squash — the sport
  19. cell — a phone
  20. swing — to play on
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. spring — the season
  24. safe — a strongbox

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