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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: rash · pass · march · pitch · lean · land · bay · pitcher

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. land — ground
  3. rash — a series
  4. lean — thin
  5. march — the month
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. land — a country
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. rash — hasty
  11. march — music
  12. lean — to bend
  13. march — the month
  14. land — to come down
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. pitch — completely
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. pass — a permit

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