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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: face · mouse · date · track · stem · can · patient · pitcher

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. face — to point toward
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. face — part of the head
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. track — a song
  10. date — the fruit
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. can — a tin
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. face — to confront
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. track — to keep track
  18. can — to be able to
  19. can — a tin
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. stem — to come from
  24. pitcher — a jug

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