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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: safe · pitch · field · bowl · bank · jam · mate · racket

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. mate — a partner
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. field — farmland
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. mate — a friend
  13. bank — for money
  14. field — for sport
  15. bank — for money
  16. mate — to breed
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. pitch — completely
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. bank — of a river
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. field — a subject
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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