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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.

Make a worksheet

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: object · pitch · land · deal · safe · patient · face · season

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. deal — to handle
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. season — of the year
  7. land — a country
  8. object — a thing
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. face — to point toward
  11. land — ground
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. face — to confront
  15. season — in sport
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. pitch — completely
  21. land — to come down
  22. object — to protest
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. object — an aim

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