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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: pound · bank · pitch · march · stand · rule

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. pitch — completely
  5. bank — for money
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. stand — to bear
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. rule — government
  12. march — the month
  13. march — the month
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — of a river
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. pound — a weight
  18. march — music

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