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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. pitch — completely
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. pass — a permit
  9. march — the month
  10. march — music
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. current — happening now
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. kick — in football
  17. deal — to handle
  18. current — of water
  19. file — a document
  20. file — a tool
  21. current — electric
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. file — a line of people

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