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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: march · pitch · rest · wave · bulb · hide · bound · cold

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. march — the month
  3. bound — certain
  4. bound — tied together
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bulb — for light
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. rest — a break
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. march — the month
  15. cold — an illness
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bulb — for light
  18. march — music
  19. pitch — completely
  20. bound — obliged
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. cold — not warm

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