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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: rush · pitch · march · roll · wave · mine · fork · fan

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. fork — in a road
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. march — the month
  10. roll — a list
  11. pitch — completely
  12. march — music
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. mine — for digging
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. roll — a cake
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. march — the month

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