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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: deal · patient · date · safe · degree · bore · march · pit

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. bore — to drill
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. degree — temperature
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. degree — an amount
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bore — to tire
  10. march — the month
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. march — music
  13. march — the month
  14. deal — to handle
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. date — the fruit
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. pit — in a race
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. degree — from a university
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. pit — a hole
  24. date — on the calendar

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