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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
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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: key · patient · hand · safe · stand · season · pit · root

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. hand — help
  3. key — in music
  4. key — for a lock
  5. root — the cause
  6. stand — to bear
  7. pit — in a race
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. pit — a hole
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. root — of a word
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. season — of the year
  18. key — the most important part
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. root — of a plant
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. hand — in cards
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. season — in sport

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