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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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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: chair · safe · bay · foot · ground · band · swing · patient

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. swing — music
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. ground — crushed
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. chair — a leader
  10. band — a music group
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. ground — a position
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. ground — the earth
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. swing — to play on
  18. band — a ring
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. swing — in golf
  21. foot — a measure
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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