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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: safe · game · rash · swing · rock · patient · fork · root

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. rash — hasty
  6. rock — music
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. swing — to play on
  10. root — of a plant
  11. root — of a word
  12. root — the cause
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. rock — a stone
  16. swing — in golf
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. fork — in a road
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. rash — a series
  21. game — a match
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. swing — music

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