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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: march · pitch · object · calf · capital · rush · wake · can

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — to be able to
  3. march — the month
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. object — a thing
  7. object — an aim
  8. march — music
  9. wake — a trail
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. rush — hurry
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. capital — a city
  14. capital — money
  15. object — to protest
  16. can — a tin
  17. pitch — completely
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. pitch — a sports field
  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