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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 120 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: cap · can · saw · rush · pitch · key · pit · march

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pitch — completely
  4. cap — a hat
  5. saw — the tool
  6. key — in music
  7. march — music
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rush — hurry
  10. key — for a lock
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. march — the month
  13. saw — the tool
  14. key — the most important part
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. march — the month
  17. can — a tin
  18. cap — of ice
  19. cap — a lid
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. can — to be able to
  22. can — a tin
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. pit — a hole

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