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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. bank — of a river
  3. field — a subject
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. content — the amount
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. bank — for money
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. field — for sport
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. bank — for money
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. chair — a leader
  19. pitch — completely
  20. content — happy
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. field — farmland
  24. chair — a professorship

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