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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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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 · racket · rest · mouse · swing · field · board · wave

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. rest — a break
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. field — for sport
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. swing — in golf
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. swing — to play on
  12. swing — music
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. board — to get on
  15. board — a committee
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. field — farmland
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. rest — what's left
  23. field — a subject
  24. rest — what's left

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