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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 116 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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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: degree · squash · patient · pitch · rest · face · bay · bass

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. squash — the sport
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bass — low music
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. pitch — completely
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. face — to point toward
  12. face — part of the head
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. rest — a break
  15. bass — the fish
  16. degree — from a university
  17. rest — what's left
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. squash — to crush
  20. degree — an amount
  21. face — to confront
  22. rest — what's left
  23. degree — temperature
  24. squash — the vegetable

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