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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.

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: sharp · patient · dip · pitch · safe · degree · mine · stem

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. degree — temperature
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. stem — to come from
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. mine — for digging
  13. dip — to sink
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. degree — an amount
  16. degree — from a university
  17. pitch — completely
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. sharp — clever
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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