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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: suit · last · mug · pitch · mate · pass · season · land

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. pitch — completely
  4. land — to come down
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. suit — to fit
  7. mug — a cup
  8. land — a country
  9. last — finally
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mate — a partner
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. season — in sport
  14. season — of the year
  15. last — to go on
  16. mate — a friend
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. mug — to rob
  19. suit — clothes
  20. last — final
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. pass — a permit
  23. suit — in cards
  24. land — ground

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