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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: ball · patient · pitch · bowl · track · cell · rock · face

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. face — part of the head
  3. track — to keep track
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. rock — music
  6. track — a song
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. pitch — completely
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. cell — in biology
  11. track — a path
  12. ball — a dance
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. ball — a great time
  18. cell — a phone
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. face — to confront
  23. face — to point toward
  24. rock — a stone

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