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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 120 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: present · safe · wind · pitch · ball · field · row · racket

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. ball — a great time
  3. present — the time now
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. ball — a dance
  8. field — a subject
  9. wind — moving air
  10. present — there
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. pitch — completely
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. row — to paddle
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. row — a line
  19. wind — moving air
  20. field — for sport
  21. field — farmland
  22. present — a gift
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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