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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.

Make a worksheet

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: patient · spell · pass · pitcher · bowl · chair · safe · mine

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. chair — a leader
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. spell — a short time
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. spell — magic
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. mine — for digging
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. spell — letters
  20. pass — a permit
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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