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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 120 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: track · safe · firm · charge · ground · pitcher · patient · chest

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. charge — electricity
  3. charge — a price
  4. charge — in control
  5. ground — crushed
  6. ground — a position
  7. firm — a company
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. track — a path
  10. chest — a box
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. chest — of your body
  13. firm — decided
  14. firm — steady
  15. track — to keep track
  16. chest — of your body
  17. track — a song
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. ground — the earth
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. safe — a strongbox

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