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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.

Make a worksheet

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: mate · march · straw · saw · pitch · rush · coach · pit

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. saw — the tool
  4. pit — a hole
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. mate — a friend
  9. march — the month
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. pit — in a race
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. march — music
  17. mate — to breed
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. march — the month
  20. pitch — completely
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rush — hurry
  24. mate — a partner

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