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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. firm — steady
  3. spring — a coil
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. spring — of water
  7. pit — a hole
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. firm — a company
  13. spring — the season
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. pit — in a race
  20. hand — in cards
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. firm — decided
  23. hand — help
  24. racket — a loud noise

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