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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: swing · bore · pitch · fork · tube · safe · perch · patient

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. swing — music
  3. swing — in golf
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. perch — the fish
  10. bore — to tire
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. swing — to play on
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. tube — the underground
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. tube — a container
  22. pitch — completely
  23. fork — in a road
  24. bore — to drill

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