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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: degree · pitcher · safe · patient · pitch · wound · coach · lie

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. wound — an injury
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. degree — temperature
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. lie — to recline
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. pitch — completely
  22. degree — an amount
  23. wound — an injury
  24. degree — from a university

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