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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: bowl · rest · safe · pop · swing · field · tube · firm

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — what's left
  4. firm — steady
  5. firm — a company
  6. tube — a container
  7. field — farmland
  8. swing — to play on
  9. pop — music
  10. field — a subject
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. swing — music
  16. swing — in golf
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. rest — a break
  19. tube — the underground
  20. field — for sport
  21. firm — decided
  22. pop — to visit
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. pop — soda

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