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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 120 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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. kid — child
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. stand — to bear
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bound — certain
  13. game — wild animals
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. kid — to tease
  21. game — a match
  22. bound — tied together
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bound — obliged

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