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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: ball · mate · pit · patient · degree · bore · safe · rest

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. mate — to breed
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. degree — from a university
  5. rest — a break
  6. bore — to drill
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. mate — a partner
  11. degree — temperature
  12. ball — a dance
  13. pit — in a race
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. ball — a great time
  16. degree — an amount
  17. mate — a friend
  18. bore — to tire
  19. rest — what's left
  20. pit — a hole
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. rest — what's left
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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