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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: march · land · pitch · mark · hide · bulb · cap · craft

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. mark — a trace
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. mark — a grade
  5. cap — a lid
  6. march — the month
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. bulb — for light
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. bulb — for light
  11. land — to come down
  12. craft — a skill
  13. pitch — completely
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. land — ground
  16. cap — of ice
  17. craft — boats
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. march — music
  21. land — a country
  22. march — the month
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. pitch — a sports field

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