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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. shower — rain
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. march — the month
  5. suit — clothes
  6. mine — for digging
  7. march — music
  8. suit — in cards
  9. craft — boats
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. suit — to fit
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. craft — a skill
  20. march — the month
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. shower — to wash
  23. pass — a permit
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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