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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.

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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: mark · bank · last · pitch · season · bulb · cap · rash

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. pitch — completely
  3. last — to go on
  4. cap — a hat
  5. cap — a lid
  6. mark — a trace
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. season — in sport
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. bank — of a river
  11. mark — a grade
  12. last — finally
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. cap — of ice
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. bank — for money
  19. rash — a series
  20. last — final
  21. rash — hasty
  22. season — of the year
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bank — for money

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