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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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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: present · cabinet · march · deal · mouse · pitch · pass · prune

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. march — music
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. prune — to trim
  6. march — the month
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. march — the month
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. present — a gift
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pitch — completely
  13. present — there
  14. present — the time now
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. pass — a permit
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. deal — to handle
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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