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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: firm · safe · press · field · arm · net · wave · racket

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. field — for sport
  6. field — farmland
  7. press — a publisher
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. field — a subject
  11. press — newspapers
  12. net — after costs
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. net — for catching
  16. press — to push
  17. firm — steady
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. net — in sport
  22. firm — a company
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. racket — for tennis

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