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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 116 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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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: march · bear · last · pitcher · dip · field · board · stick

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. march — the month
  3. last — final
  4. march — music
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. board — a committee
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. bear — the animal
  10. field — for sport
  11. march — the month
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bear — the animal
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. last — finally
  17. field — farmland
  18. last — to go on
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. dip — to sink
  23. field — a subject
  24. board — to get on

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