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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 116 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: pop · kick · field · saw · present · board · safe · nail

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. saw — the tool
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. field — farmland
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. present — the time now
  11. present — there
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. kick — in football
  14. saw — the tool
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. board — to get on
  17. pop — to visit
  18. field — a subject
  19. field — for sport
  20. pop — soda
  21. present — a gift
  22. board — a committee
  23. pop — music
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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