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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: swing · date · bear · stand · pitch · bore · march · pitcher

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bore — to tire
  4. swing — music
  5. march — the month
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. bear — the animal
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. pitch — completely
  12. march — the month
  13. stand — to bear
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. swing — to play on
  17. bore — to drill
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bear — the animal
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. swing — in golf
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. date — the fruit

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