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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: court · bat · fine · net · bank · patient · safe · ground

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. fine — high quality
  5. fine — all right
  6. bank — for money
  7. net — for catching
  8. bat — the animal
  9. court — of a king
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. ground — crushed
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bank — for money
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. court — for sport
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. net — in sport
  18. court — of law
  19. ground — a position
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. net — after costs
  24. ground — the earth

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