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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: season · row · pitcher · pit · fall · suit · prune · march

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. pit — in a race
  3. march — the month
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. fall — to drop
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — to trim
  9. march — music
  10. suit — clothes
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pit — a hole
  13. suit — to fit
  14. fall — the season
  15. row — a line
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. season — of the year
  19. suit — in cards
  20. march — the month
  21. row — to paddle
  22. fall — to drop
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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