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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: club · suit · patient · safe · perch · chair · bowl · rash

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. chair — a leader
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. club — a group
  10. perch — the fish
  11. suit — in cards
  12. club — for golf
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. rash — hasty
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. suit — clothes
  19. club — for dancing
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. rash — a series
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. suit — to fit

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