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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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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: nail · roll · field · safe · arm · sharp · board · swing

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. sharp — clever
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. field — a subject
  6. board — to get on
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. roll — a cake
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. field — for sport
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. swing — music
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. board — a committee
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. swing — in golf
  21. roll — a list
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. arm — part of the body
  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