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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.

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: wave · racket · season · fine · last · safe · current · field

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. season — of the year
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. season — in sport
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. field — farmland
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. last — final
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. field — a subject
  11. current — of water
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. last — to go on
  14. last — finally
  15. fine — all right
  16. current — happening now
  17. fine — high quality
  18. current — electric
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. field — for sport
  24. wave — of the sea

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