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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: arm · pop · safe · pit · field · tube · racket · chest

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. pit — in a race
  4. pop — music
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. tube — a container
  10. field — a subject
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pop — to visit
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chest — a box
  19. tube — the underground
  20. field — for sport
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. field — farmland
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. arm — a part of something

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