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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: rush · safe · racket · ground · bowl · field · bay · wax

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. ground — crushed
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. ground — a position
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. field — farmland
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. ground — the earth
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. field — a subject
  16. field — for sport
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. wax — to grow

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