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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: field · pitcher · staff · racket · safe · clip · face · key

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. staff — employees
  4. face — part of the head
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. field — for sport
  7. key — in music
  8. staff — employees
  9. field — a subject
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. clip — for paper
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. field — farmland
  14. clip — to cut
  15. staff — a stick
  16. face — to confront
  17. key — the most important part
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. clip — a video
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. face — to point toward
  24. key — for a lock

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