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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: drill · racket · rush · chip · safe · cell · bay · swing

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. swing — in golf
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. swing — to play on
  10. swing — music
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. cell — in biology
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. drill — a practice
  15. drill — army training
  16. chip — to eat
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. rush — hurry
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. chip — for betting
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. drill — the tool
  24. cell — a phone

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