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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: swing · field · safe · trunk · fan · net · deal · fine

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. swing — in golf
  3. net — after costs
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. deal — to handle
  8. net — for catching
  9. field — for sport
  10. swing — to play on
  11. net — in sport
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. fine — high quality
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fine — all right
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. field — farmland
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. swing — music

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