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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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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: toast · mug · patient · court · spring · stock · safe · pitch

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. mug — a face
  4. stock — goods
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. court — for sport
  10. court — of a king
  11. spring — of water
  12. stock — shares
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. spring — the season
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. mug — a cup
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. pitch — completely
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. mug — to rob
  22. toast — bread
  23. court — of law
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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