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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: fan · row · leaves · capital · bay · pitch · rock · march

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. pitch — completely
  3. capital — a city
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. row — a line
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. rock — music
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. march — the month
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. march — music
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. rock — a stone
  22. capital — money
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. row — to paddle

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