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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: key · present · swing · safe · drill · arm · fork · season

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  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. present — the time now
  2. swing — to play on
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. present — there
  6. present — a gift
  7. swing — in golf
  8. key — for a lock
  9. drill — a practice
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. fork — in a road
  12. season — in sport
  13. key — the most important part
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. season — of the year
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. swing — music
  19. drill — army training
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. key — in music
  22. drill — the tool
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. arm — part of the body

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