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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: mouse · pitch · prune · present · march · drill · mug · wake

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  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. march — the month
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. present — the time now
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. drill — a practice
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. mug — to rob
  11. drill — the tool
  12. march — the month
  13. march — music
  14. mug — a face
  15. wake — a trail
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. prune — to trim
  18. present — a gift
  19. drill — army training
  20. mug — a cup
  21. present — there
  22. pitch — completely
  23. prune — to trim
  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