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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: fork · rush · swing · field · roll · safe · tube · bore

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. field — farmland
  4. swing — to play on
  5. swing — music
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. fork — in a road
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. roll — a cake
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bore — to tire
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. swing — in golf
  18. tube — the underground
  19. field — a subject
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. rush — hurry
  22. field — for sport
  23. bore — to drill
  24. tube — a container

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