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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: wave · pitch · present · tear · bound · march

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. bound — tied together
  3. present — there
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. tear — to rip
  8. march — the month
  9. tear — from crying
  10. present — a gift
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. bound — certain
  13. bound — obliged
  14. tear — from crying
  15. pitch — completely
  16. present — the time now
  17. march — music
  18. pitch — a sales talk

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