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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: racket · cue · patient · ground · game · safe · drill · deal

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. cue — a signal
  4. ground — crushed
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. deal — to handle
  9. cue — a hint
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. game — wild animals
  12. drill — army training
  13. ground — the earth
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. game — a match
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. ground — a position
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. cue — for pool
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. drill — a practice
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. drill — the tool

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