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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: wake · mate · pitch · court · bass · safe · march · can

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. mate — a friend
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. pitch — completely
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. bass — the fish
  7. wake — a trail
  8. march — the month
  9. court — of law
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. march — the month
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mate — a partner
  16. can — a tin
  17. bass — low music
  18. court — of a king
  19. court — for sport
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. march — music
  24. can — to be able to

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