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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.

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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: bore · rule · stick · patient · safe · band · pitch · ground

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. ground — crushed
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. rule — a law
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bore — to tire
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. band — a music group
  15. ground — the earth
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. band — a ring
  18. pitch — completely
  19. rule — government
  20. ground — a position
  21. bore — to drill
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. patient — a sick person

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