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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: chest · arm · net · swing · march · game · pop · safe

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. game — a match
  3. pop — music
  4. march — the month
  5. pop — to visit
  6. chest — a box
  7. swing — music
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. swing — to play on
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. net — in sport
  14. swing — in golf
  15. chest — of your body
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. net — for catching
  18. game — wild animals
  19. pop — soda
  20. march — the month
  21. chest — of your body
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. march — music
  24. net — after costs

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