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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bank — of a river
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. pitch — completely
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. kid — child
  12. hand — help
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. hand — in cards
  15. ground — a position
  16. ground — crushed
  17. bank — for money
  18. kid — to tease
  19. bank — for money
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. ground — the earth

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