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

Word bank: racket · swing · cell · safe · pass · fine

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. fine — all right
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. cell — a phone
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. cell — in biology
  9. swing — to play on
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. swing — in golf
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. fine — high quality
  16. swing — music
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. pass — a permit

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