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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 116 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: swing · ground · field · mouse · bank · safe · capital · kick

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. capital — money
  3. swing — in golf
  4. capital — a city
  5. bank — for money
  6. field — farmland
  7. ground — the earth
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. field — a subject
  13. bank — for money
  14. swing — music
  15. ground — crushed
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. ground — a position
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. field — for sport
  22. swing — to play on
  23. kick — in football
  24. safe — a strongbox

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