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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 120 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: pitch · last · mug · season · march · suit · object · mine

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. object — an aim
  3. march — the month
  4. object — a thing
  5. mug — a face
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. last — final
  8. mug — to rob
  9. last — finally
  10. last — to go on
  11. march — music
  12. march — the month
  13. suit — to fit
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pitch — completely
  16. mug — a cup
  17. season — in sport
  18. mine — for digging
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. season — of the year
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. suit — in cards
  23. object — to protest
  24. season — to add flavour

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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