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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: saw · pitch · march · cell · leaves · roll · pop · net

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. net — in sport
  3. saw — the tool
  4. cell — in biology
  5. pop — to visit
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. net — for catching
  10. march — the month
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. march — music
  14. cell — a phone
  15. pop — music
  16. roll — a list
  17. pitch — completely
  18. saw — the tool
  19. net — after costs
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. pop — soda
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. roll — a cake

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