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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. march — music
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. march — the month
  5. kick — in football
  6. drill — army training
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. wound — an injury
  9. drill — a practice
  10. fork — in a road
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. pitch — completely
  16. bear — the animal
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. march — the month
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. drill — the tool
  22. wound — an injury
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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