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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: pitch · march · wake · shower · can · mark · calf · bore

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  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. mark — a grade
  2. bore — to drill
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. can — a tin
  5. bore — to tire
  6. shower — rain
  7. shower — to wash
  8. pitch — completely
  9. mark — a trace
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. can — to be able to
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. wake — a trail
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. march — the month
  20. march — the month
  21. can — a tin
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  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