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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mark · pass · bore · perch · pitcher · cold · march · suit

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. march — the month
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. mark — a trace
  8. suit — to fit
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. cold — an illness
  11. bore — to tire
  12. mark — a grade
  13. bore — to drill
  14. perch — the fish
  15. march — music
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pass — a permit
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. suit — in cards
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. march — the month
  24. suit — clothes

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