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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 · safe · staff · pitch · band · patient · pitcher · pop

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. staff — employees
  4. face — part of the head
  5. pop — music
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. face — to confront
  12. staff — a stick
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. band — a music group
  18. staff — employees
  19. face — to point toward
  20. band — a ring
  21. pop — to visit
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. pop — soda
  24. pitch — completely

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