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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: pitcher · patient · stick · scale · mark · cap · pit · face

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. pit — in a race
  3. cap — a lid
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. pit — a hole
  8. scale — in music
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. face — part of the head
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mark — a grade
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. cap — a hat
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. scale — size or range
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. face — to confront
  23. face — to point toward
  24. cap — of ice

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