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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 120 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 · sharp · fall · safe · suit · game · pound · cap

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. swing — to play on
  3. swing — music
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. cap — of ice
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. game — a match
  9. fall — to drop
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. pound — a weight
  12. sharp — clever
  13. fall — the season
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. suit — clothes
  16. fall — to drop
  17. cap — a hat
  18. swing — in golf
  19. cap — a lid
  20. suit — in cards
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. game — wild animals
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. game — a kind of play

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