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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: pitch · scale · pit · march · cap · calf · bear · coach

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. march — music
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. march — the month
  9. cap — a hat
  10. march — the month
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. pit — in a race
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. cap — a lid
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. scale — size or range
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. pitch — completely
  23. scale — in music
  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