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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.

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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: cap · suit · pitch · content · chest · march · season · pit

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. cap — a hat
  4. season — in sport
  5. chest — a box
  6. chest — of your body
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. suit — clothes
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. march — the month
  12. suit — in cards
  13. season — of the year
  14. march — the month
  15. pit — in a race
  16. content — happy
  17. cap — of ice
  18. suit — to fit
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. cap — a lid
  21. march — music
  22. content — the amount
  23. pit — a hole
  24. pitch — completely

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