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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: land · march · rush · row · can · snap · pitch · temple

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  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. land — a country
  2. row — to paddle
  3. can — to be able to
  4. pitch — completely
  5. land — to come down
  6. rush — hurry
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. land — ground
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. march — the month
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. can — a tin
  16. snap — to click
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. march — music
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. march — the month
  22. row — a line
  23. can — a tin
  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