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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: field · mate · cabinet · patient · object · pitch · temple · rest

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. rest — what's left
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. mate — a partner
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. pitch — completely
  10. object — a thing
  11. rest — what's left
  12. object — to protest
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. rest — a break
  15. field — farmland
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. mate — to breed
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. object — an aim
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. field — for sport
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. mate — a friend

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