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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. march — the month
  4. bank — for money
  5. firm — steady
  6. bank — of a river
  7. march — the month
  8. bank — for money
  9. firm — a company
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. mine — for digging
  12. pass — a permit
  13. key — for a lock
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. key — the most important part
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. firm — decided
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. key — in music
  24. pitch — completely

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