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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: patient · pitch · present · bank · march · temple · game · field

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. bank — for money
  5. present — a gift
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. field — a subject
  10. field — farmland
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. present — there
  13. pitch — completely
  14. march — the month
  15. bank — of a river
  16. game — wild animals
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. game — a match
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. present — the time now
  21. march — the month
  22. march — music
  23. bank — for money
  24. field — for 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