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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 112 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: clip · bark · safe · drill · fine · swing · racket · pitcher

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. drill — a practice
  3. fine — high quality
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. swing — in golf
  7. drill — army training
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. swing — music
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. bark — to shout
  16. drill — the tool
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. fine — all right
  19. clip — for paper
  20. clip — a video
  21. clip — to cut
  22. swing — to play on
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bark — of a tree

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