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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: patient · safe · cell · present · jam · scale · game · stand

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. stand — to bear
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. cell — in biology
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. game — a match
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. cell — a phone
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. present — there
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. scale — in music
  16. present — the time now
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. scale — size or range
  20. game — wild animals
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. present — a gift

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