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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: pitch · can · rest · plane · sharp · cap · spring · march

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. spring — the season
  3. rest — what's left
  4. can — a tin
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. can — to be able to
  7. march — the month
  8. rest — a break
  9. spring — of water
  10. cap — a hat
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. sharp — clever
  13. rest — what's left
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. cap — a lid
  16. plane — a tool
  17. march — the month
  18. pitch — completely
  19. spring — a coil
  20. cap — of ice
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. march — music

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