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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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Word bank
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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: board · spell · safe · fall · pitcher · field · swing · date

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. swing — in golf
  3. spell — a short time
  4. field — a subject
  5. spell — magic
  6. fall — to drop
  7. swing — music
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. field — farmland
  11. fall — the season
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. spell — letters
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. field — for sport
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. date — the fruit
  21. board — a committee
  22. swing — to play on
  23. board — to get on
  24. fall — to drop

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