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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: field · face · scale · season · pit · safe · fork · patient

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pit — a hole
  4. season — in sport
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. field — farmland
  7. fork — in a road
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. face — to point toward
  11. field — a subject
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. face — to confront
  19. field — for sport
  20. season — of the year
  21. scale — size or range
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. scale — in music
  24. face — part of the head

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