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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. ball — a dance
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. track — a song
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. track — a path
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. chair — a leader
  13. ball — a great time
  14. track — to keep track
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. mine — for digging
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. safe — out of danger

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