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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. swing — music
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fork — in a road
  6. fall — to drop
  7. field — for sport
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. swing — in golf
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. pound — a weight
  15. field — farmland
  16. rush — hurry
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. field — a subject
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. swing — to play on

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