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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: leaves · march · track · wind · coach · rush · pitch · squash

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. track — a path
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. track — to keep track
  9. wind — moving air
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. wind — moving air
  13. march — the month
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. march — the month
  18. squash — the sport
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rush — hurry
  21. squash — to crush
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. track — a song
  24. leaves — to go away

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