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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 · cell · wave · march · wake · land · rash · pass

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. land — to come down
  3. land — a country
  4. pitch — completely
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. land — ground
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. wake — a trail
  9. rash — hasty
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. rash — a series
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. march — the month
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. march — music
  19. march — the month
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. cell — a phone
  23. pass — a permit
  24. cell — in biology

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