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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 116 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: field · key · stem · pound · safe · press · bowl · wake

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. wake — a trail
  7. press — newspapers
  8. pound — a weight
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. press — to push
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. stem — to come from
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. key — the most important part
  18. key — in music
  19. press — a publisher
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. field — a subject
  23. field — farmland
  24. field — for sport

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