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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: game · track · perch · bat · ground · safe · staff · patient

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. track — a path
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. track — a song
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. staff — a stick
  9. ground — a position
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. staff — employees
  13. staff — employees
  14. ground — the earth
  15. game — wild animals
  16. game — a match
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. bat — the animal
  20. perch — the fish
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. ground — crushed
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. safe — out of danger

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