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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. field — a subject
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. fork — in a road
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. wind — moving air
  7. bass — the fish
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. swing — in golf
  11. swing — music
  12. field — farmland
  13. field — for sport
  14. bass — low music
  15. board — to get on
  16. drill — the tool
  17. drill — army training
  18. wind — moving air
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. drill — a practice
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. board — a committee
  24. wind — to turn a key

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