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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: rest · can · wind · patient · land · safe · pitcher · racket

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. can — a tin
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. land — to come down
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. can — to be able to
  10. rest — a break
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. land — ground
  15. rest — what's left
  16. land — a country
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. wind — moving air
  19. can — a tin
  20. rest — what's left
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. safe — out of danger

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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