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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. mate — a friend
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rash — a series
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. rash — hasty
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. ball — a dance
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. craft — a skill
  17. pitch — completely
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. craft — boats
  20. ball — a great time
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. mate — a partner
  23. mate — to breed
  24. patient — a sick person

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