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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: racket · charge · straw · fall · field · ball · safe · bore

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. charge — a price
  5. field — for sport
  6. charge — electricity
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bore — to drill
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. fall — to drop
  11. ball — a dance
  12. fall — to drop
  13. field — farmland
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. fall — the season
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. field — a subject
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. charge — in control
  23. ball — a great time
  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