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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: field · object · rush · snap · season · file · safe · ground

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. ground — the earth
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. field — for sport
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. field — a subject
  9. file — a document
  10. object — to protest
  11. file — a tool
  12. rush — hurry
  13. season — of the year
  14. ground — a position
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. snap — to click
  17. ground — crushed
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. season — in sport
  21. object — a thing
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. object — an aim
  24. file — a line of people

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