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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 120 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: pitch · last · mine · pop · craft · wake · suit · bay

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. pop — music
  3. mine — for digging
  4. pop — to visit
  5. last — finally
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. pop — soda
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. suit — clothes
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. wake — a trail
  15. craft — a skill
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. craft — boats
  19. last — final
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. last — to go on
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pitch — completely
  24. suit — in cards

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