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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: pass · capital · pitch · bank · wax · season · chip · mate

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  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. season — of the year
  2. mate — a friend
  3. pitch — completely
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. season — in sport
  6. bank — for money
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. wax — to grow
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. mate — a partner
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. capital — money
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. capital — a city
  16. bank — for money
  17. chip — for betting
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. pass — a permit
  21. bank — of a river
  22. mate — to breed
  23. chip — to eat
  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