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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.

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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: cell · face · pitch · pitcher · patient · rash · deal · leaves

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. pitch — completely
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. cell — a phone
  6. face — part of the head
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. face — to confront
  11. rash — a series
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. rash — hasty
  15. cell — in biology
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. deal — to handle
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. face — to point toward
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. rash — on the skin

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