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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: field · ruler · safe · saw · racket · kick · race · bowl

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. saw — the tool
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. field — a subject
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. saw — the tool
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. race — the arms race
  14. race — humankind
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. field — for sport
  21. kick — in football
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. race — a contest
  24. safe — out of danger

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