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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: pitcher · firm · face · patient · pit · cap · staff · calf

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — employees
  3. face — to point toward
  4. face — part of the head
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. staff — a stick
  7. firm — a company
  8. cap — a hat
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. cap — of ice
  11. cap — a lid
  12. pit — a hole
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pit — in a race
  16. firm — steady
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. face — to confront
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. firm — decided
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. patient — a sick person

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