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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 112 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 · sharp · pitcher · mate · staff · cabinet · bay · season

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. staff — a stick
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. staff — employees
  5. mate — a partner
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. sharp — clever
  8. season — in sport
  9. staff — employees
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. season — of the year
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. march — music
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. march — the month
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. mate — a friend
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. mate — to breed
  24. march — the month

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