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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: face · charge · mug · patient · last · season · pitch · object

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. face — part of the head
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. last — to go on
  5. mug — a cup
  6. object — a thing
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. last — finally
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. face — to point toward
  12. mug — to rob
  13. object — to protest
  14. face — to confront
  15. season — in sport
  16. season — of the year
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. charge — a price
  19. last — final
  20. charge — in control
  21. charge — electricity
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. pitch — completely
  24. mug — a face

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