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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.

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: press · mate · pitcher · toast · wake · coach · march · stand

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. march — music
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. march — the month
  6. mate — a partner
  7. march — the month
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. mate — a friend
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. press — newspapers
  13. press — to push
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. mate — to breed
  19. wake — a trail
  20. toast — bread
  21. press — a publisher
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. stand — to bear
  24. stand — on your feet

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