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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: pitch · march · wake · season · bay · mate · chest · craft

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. march — the month
  3. chest — of your body
  4. mate — a partner
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wake — a trail
  7. march — music
  8. chest — a box
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. craft — boats
  14. pitch — completely
  15. chest — of your body
  16. season — of the year
  17. craft — a skill
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. mate — to breed
  20. season — in sport
  21. march — the month
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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