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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: rest · safe · swing · ground · ruler · capital · field · rock

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. ground — the earth
  3. ground — a position
  4. capital — money
  5. rest — what's left
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. swing — to play on
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. rest — what's left
  10. field — for sport
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. swing — music
  14. ground — crushed
  15. swing — in golf
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. rock — music
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. rock — a stone
  21. capital — a city
  22. field — a subject
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. rest — a break

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