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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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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: fine · bore · safe · swing · pitch · squash · foot · court

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. swing — in golf
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. foot — a measure
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. court — for sport
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. squash — the sport
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. pitch — completely
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bore — to tire
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. swing — music
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. court — of law
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. fine — all right
  20. fine — high quality
  21. court — of a king
  22. squash — to crush
  23. bore — to drill
  24. swing — to play on

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