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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.

Make a worksheet

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: pitch · key · mug · land · patient · field · face · temple

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. field — a subject
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. field — for sport
  5. mug — a face
  6. field — farmland
  7. land — to come down
  8. face — to point toward
  9. face — part of the head
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. key — in music
  13. land — ground
  14. mug — to rob
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. face — to confront
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. mug — a cup
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. key — the most important part
  23. pitch — completely
  24. key — for a lock

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