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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: jam · face · pitcher · arm · fall · pitch · mate · patient

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. mate — a friend
  4. fall — to drop
  5. pitch — completely
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. mate — to breed
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. face — part of the head
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. face — to confront
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. fall — to drop
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. fall — the season
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. mate — a partner

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