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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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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. field — a subject
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. fine — high quality
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. field — farmland
  8. swing — music
  9. branch — a division
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. swing — to play on
  13. fine — all right
  14. field — for sport
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — to trim
  18. ball — a great time
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. ball — a dance
  24. arm — part of the body

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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