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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: safe · date · ball · last · land · swing · ground · bowl

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. date — the fruit
  3. last — to go on
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. last — finally
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. land — ground
  8. ground — a position
  9. land — to come down
  10. land — a country
  11. ball — a great time
  12. swing — to play on
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. ground — the earth
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. last — final
  17. swing — music
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. ground — crushed
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. ball — a dance
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. safe — a strongbox

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