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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 116 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: charge · safe · kid · game · track · racket · bat · field

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. charge — a price
  3. field — a subject
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. field — for sport
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. game — a match
  9. charge — electricity
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. field — farmland
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. track — a song
  15. charge — in control
  16. game — wild animals
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. track — a path
  20. track — to keep track
  21. kid — child
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. kid — to tease

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