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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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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. degree — an amount
  5. land — ground
  6. degree — temperature
  7. degree — from a university
  8. rush — hurry
  9. land — to come down
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rule — a law
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. rule — government
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. land — a country

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