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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: swing · safe · field · content · prune · pop · kick · rush

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. field — for sport
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. pop — music
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. swing — in golf
  8. content — the amount
  9. field — farmland
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. kick — in football
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. content — happy
  16. prune — to trim
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. swing — to play on
  19. swing — music
  20. prune — to trim
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. field — a subject
  23. pop — to visit
  24. safe — a strongbox

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