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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: board · sharp · pitcher · lash · pitch · pass · date · march

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. march — the month
  4. date — the fruit
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. board — to get on
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. pass — a permit
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. march — the month
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. march — music
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. sharp — clever
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. board — a committee

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