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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: bat · saw · fork · swing · safe · racket · rush · content

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. content — the amount
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. fork — in a road
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bat — the animal
  12. rush — hurry
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. content — happy
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. swing — to play on
  19. swing — music
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. swing — in golf
  24. safe — out of danger

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