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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 120 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 · root · calf · leaves · mate · march · cap · can

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. mate — a partner
  3. cap — of ice
  4. cap — a hat
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. can — to be able to
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. cap — a lid
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. march — the month
  11. march — music
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. root — of a plant
  14. can — a tin
  15. root — of a word
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. mate — a friend
  19. mate — to breed
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. march — the month
  22. root — the cause
  23. pitch — completely
  24. leaves — lets stay

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