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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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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 · pound · cap · mate · fork · stem · cabinet · march

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. mate — a partner
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. fork — in a road
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. mate — to breed
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. cap — of ice
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. march — music
  12. pitch — completely
  13. cap — a hat
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. march — the month
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. march — the month
  18. pound — a weight
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. cap — a lid
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. stem — to come from
  24. mate — a friend

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