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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: field · rule · jam · wound · plane · degree · staff · safe

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. staff — a stick
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. degree — from a university
  6. staff — employees
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. degree — temperature
  9. staff — employees
  10. field — farmland
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. field — a subject
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. field — for sport
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. rule — a law
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. wound — an injury
  21. degree — an amount
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. wound — an injury
  24. rule — government

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