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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: net · swing · face · field · march · safe · object · fork

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. face — part of the head
  3. object — to protest
  4. face — to point toward
  5. swing — music
  6. field — for sport
  7. net — in sport
  8. field — a subject
  9. field — farmland
  10. march — the month
  11. march — music
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. face — to confront
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. fork — in a road
  16. swing — in golf
  17. march — the month
  18. swing — to play on
  19. net — for catching
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. object — a thing
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. net — after costs

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