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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: drill · safe · bay · pitch · patient · club · spell · coach

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. drill — army training
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. club — a group
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. spell — letters
  12. club — for golf
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. drill — the tool
  15. pitch — completely
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. spell — a short time
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. drill — a practice
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. club — for dancing
  24. spell — magic

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