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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: hand · pitcher · safe · bass · coach · land · patient · leaves

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. bass — the fish
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. bass — low music
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. land — a country
  9. hand — help
  10. land — to come down
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. hand — in cards
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. land — ground
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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