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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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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: field · cell · track · swing · fan · safe · patient · bank

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. field — farmland
  3. field — for sport
  4. cell — in biology
  5. swing — music
  6. swing — in golf
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bank — of a river
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — for money
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. cell — a phone
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. track — a song
  18. track — a path
  19. track — to keep track
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. swing — to play on
  24. field — a subject

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