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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. court — for sport
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rash — a series
  5. court — of a king
  6. pitch — completely
  7. mug — a face
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. cell — a phone
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. court — of law
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. mug — to rob
  18. mug — a cup
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. cell — in biology
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. roll — a list
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. roll — a cake

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