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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: safe · racket · fork · stem · key · wind · arm · net

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  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. wind — moving air
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. key — for a lock
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. key — the most important part
  7. net — in sport
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. stem — to come from
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. net — after costs
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. wind — moving air
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. net — for catching
  18. fork — in a road
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. key — in music
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. safe — out of danger
  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