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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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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 · pitch · bay · deal · rest · pit · stick · cabinet

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. rest — what's left
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. march — the month
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. march — the month
  8. deal — to handle
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. march — music
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. pitch — completely
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — a break
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pit — in a race
  24. deal — a big deal

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