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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 116 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 · cue · cabinet · pound · march · pit · sharp · wake

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  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. pound — to hit hard
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. wake — a trail
  4. sharp — clever
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. pound — a weight
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. pitch — completely
  9. cue — a signal
  10. march — the month
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. pit — a hole
  13. cue — for pool
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. cue — a hint
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. pit — in a race
  22. march — the month
  23. sharp — exactly
  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