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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: mug · march · rash · dip · pop · toast · pitch · court

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. court — for sport
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. rash — a series
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. pop — soda
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. mug — to rob
  10. mug — a face
  11. march — music
  12. court — of a king
  13. march — the month
  14. pop — music
  15. court — of law
  16. mug — a cup
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. pitch — completely
  19. toast — bread
  20. dip — to sink
  21. march — the month
  22. pop — to visit
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. rash — on the skin

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