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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: staff · cabinet · branch · safe · swing · hand · field · net

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. branch — a division
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. field — farmland
  5. field — for sport
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. swing — music
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. net — in sport
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. staff — a stick
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. net — for catching
  14. hand — help
  15. field — a subject
  16. hand — in cards
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. swing — in golf
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. staff — employees
  22. swing — to play on
  23. net — after costs
  24. staff — employees

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