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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: march · leaves · pitch · snap · toast · pass · roll · scale

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  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. toast — the most admired
  2. snap — to click
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. roll — a cake
  7. march — music
  8. pitch — completely
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. scale — in music
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. scale — size or range
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. march — the month
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. march — the month
  20. pass — a permit
  21. roll — a list
  22. toast — bread
  23. leaves — lets stay
  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