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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: hand · press · field · safe · race · stock · spell · suit

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. field — a subject
  4. stock — goods
  5. spell — magic
  6. hand — help
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. field — for sport
  9. suit — in cards
  10. race — a contest
  11. hand — in cards
  12. spell — a short time
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. suit — to fit
  15. press — a publisher
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. press — to push
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. spell — letters
  20. race — humankind
  21. race — the arms race
  22. field — farmland
  23. suit — clothes
  24. stock — shares

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