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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 120 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: object · field · saw · pit · bear · safe · swing · squash

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. field — for sport
  3. swing — music
  4. swing — to play on
  5. field — farmland
  6. swing — in golf
  7. object — to protest
  8. squash — to crush
  9. pit — a hole
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. field — a subject
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. object — an aim
  16. saw — the tool
  17. pit — in a race
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. squash — the sport
  22. saw — the tool
  23. object — a thing
  24. bear — to put up with

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