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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. march — the month
  5. mark — a grade
  6. firm — steady
  7. key — for a lock
  8. firm — a company
  9. track — a song
  10. track — a path
  11. track — to keep track
  12. mark — a trace
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. pitch — completely
  15. key — in music
  16. key — the most important part
  17. march — music
  18. tear — from crying
  19. tear — from crying
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. march — the month
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. tear — to rip
  24. firm — decided

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