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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: march · pitch · pop · perch · nail · game · rest · pass

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. rest — what's left
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. pop — music
  5. rest — a break
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. pitch — completely
  9. pop — soda
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. game — a match
  12. game — wild animals
  13. perch — the fish
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pop — to visit
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. march — music
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. march — the month
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. march — the month
  24. rest — what's left

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