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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.

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: pitch · last · fan · march · lean · wake · pitcher · pass

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. last — finally
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. march — music
  9. last — to go on
  10. march — the month
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. last — final
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pitch — completely
  20. march — the month
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. wake — a trail
  24. lean — thin

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