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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 116 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cell · pitch · race · pass · march · suit

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. race — humankind
  3. pitch — completely
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. suit — in cards
  7. march — music
  8. march — the month
  9. cell — a phone
  10. suit — to fit
  11. march — the month
  12. pass — a permit
  13. race — the arms race
  14. race — a contest
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. cell — in biology

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