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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bark — to shout
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. season — in sport
  6. net — after costs
  7. degree — temperature
  8. fine — all right
  9. net — in sport
  10. band — a ring
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. band — a music group
  14. season — of the year
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. degree — an amount
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. net — for catching
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. fine — high quality
  24. degree — from a university

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