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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: deal · can · dip · pitch · march · rush · chest · fork

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. march — the month
  3. chest — of your body
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. march — the month
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. chest — of your body
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. deal — to handle
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. dip — to sink
  12. pitch — completely
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. can — a tin
  16. march — music
  17. chest — a box
  18. rush — hurry
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — to be able to
  24. fork — in a road

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