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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: season · can · march · kid · rush · rock · pitch · bound

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. can — a tin
  4. bound — tied together
  5. season — in sport
  6. bound — obliged
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. can — to be able to
  9. rock — music
  10. kid — child
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. bound — certain
  13. season — of the year
  14. kid — to tease
  15. can — a tin
  16. rush — hurry
  17. pitch — completely
  18. march — the month
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rock — a stone
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. march — the month
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. season — to add flavour

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