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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. net — in sport
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. key — in music
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. net — after costs
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. land — a country
  11. land — ground
  12. cue — for pool
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. key — the most important part
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. cue — a signal
  17. land — to come down
  18. key — for a lock
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. cue — a hint
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. net — for catching
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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