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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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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: fall · field · foot · safe · capital · club · swing · current

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. foot — a measure
  4. field — a subject
  5. field — farmland
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. fall — to drop
  9. swing — to play on
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. capital — a city
  12. current — happening now
  13. fall — the season
  14. club — for golf
  15. current — of water
  16. club — a group
  17. field — for sport
  18. capital — money
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. swing — in golf
  21. current — electric
  22. swing — music
  23. club — for dancing
  24. capital — a big letter

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