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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. ground — the earth
  3. march — music
  4. key — the most important part
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. ground — crushed
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. key — for a lock
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. march — the month
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. ground — a position
  17. key — in music
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bear — the animal
  20. pitch — completely
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. stand — to bear
  23. bear — the animal
  24. nail — for a hammer

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