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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 · suit · dip · season · mouse · bank · pitch · can

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. suit — in cards
  3. march — the month
  4. season — of the year
  5. suit — to fit
  6. bank — for money
  7. dip — to sink
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. march — music
  10. can — to be able to
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. can — a tin
  14. bank — for money
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. season — in sport
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bank — of a river
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. pitch — completely
  23. march — the month
  24. suit — clothes

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