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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: pit · game · racket · mine · field · chair · safe · foot

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. game — wild animals
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. field — for sport
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. chair — a leader
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. pit — a hole
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. mine — for digging
  15. pit — in a race
  16. game — a match
  17. field — a subject
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. foot — a measure
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. field — farmland

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