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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: date · cue · file · mug · fall · pitch · pop · march

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. march — the month
  3. pop — to visit
  4. fall — to drop
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. fall — the season
  7. march — the month
  8. date — the fruit
  9. file — a line of people
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. file — a document
  12. pitch — completely
  13. mug — a cup
  14. pop — music
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cue — for pool
  18. mug — to rob
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. file — a tool
  21. march — music
  22. mug — a face
  23. fall — to drop
  24. pop — soda

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