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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 116 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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. swing — to play on
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. object — a thing
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. swing — music
  8. saw — the tool
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. object — an aim
  12. field — farmland
  13. bear — the animal
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. field — for sport
  16. swing — in golf
  17. saw — the tool
  18. pitch — completely
  19. bear — the animal
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. field — a subject
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. object — to protest

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