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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.

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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: mark · mate · bowl · mug · cell · pitch · march · lean

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. cell — in biology
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. mark — a grade
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. mate — a partner
  8. lean — thin
  9. cell — a phone
  10. mug — a face
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mug — to rob
  13. march — the month
  14. pitch — completely
  15. march — music
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. mug — a cup
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. lean — to bend
  20. mark — a trace
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. march — the month
  24. pitch — a sports field

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