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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: nail · march · wake · plane · game · pitcher · pitch · pass

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. march — the month
  3. game — wild animals
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. wake — a trail
  7. march — the month
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. plane — a tool
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. march — music
  21. game — a match
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. pass — a permit

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