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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
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: bear · safe · leaves · pitch · land · patient · saw · rule

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. land — a country
  4. pitch — completely
  5. rule — a law
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. rule — government
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. land — to come down
  21. saw — the tool
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. rule — to rule out

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