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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. degree — an amount
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bound — obliged
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. pit — a hole
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. pit — in a race
  14. degree — temperature
  15. bound — tied together
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. degree — from a university
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. chair — a leader
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bound — certain
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. safe — a strongbox

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