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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · field · pitch · season · rest · bear · rash · ruler

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. rest — what's left
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. field — farmland
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. season — of the year
  10. bear — the animal
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rash — a series
  13. season — in sport
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. rest — what's left
  16. field — for sport
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. rest — a break
  20. field — a subject
  21. bear — the animal
  22. rash — hasty
  23. pitch — completely
  24. ruler — for measuring

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