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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: wake · cap · squash · toast · march · present · pitch · mark

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. cap — a hat
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. mark — a grade
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. cap — of ice
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. march — the month
  10. squash — the sport
  11. toast — bread
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. squash — to crush
  14. march — music
  15. present — there
  16. march — the month
  17. wake — a trail
  18. cap — a lid
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. mark — a trace
  21. present — the time now
  22. pitch — completely
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. pitch — a sports field

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