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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: patient · ground · safe · net · nail · row · race · track

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. ground — a position
  4. row — a line
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. track — to keep track
  7. ground — the earth
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. net — in sport
  10. ground — crushed
  11. track — a song
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. race — humankind
  14. net — for catching
  15. race — the arms race
  16. track — a path
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. net — after costs
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. race — a contest
  22. row — to paddle
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. safe — out of danger

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