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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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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: board · pass · track · rock · scale · march · pitch · arm

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. board — to get on
  3. march — the month
  4. scale — size or range
  5. track — to keep track
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. march — music
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pitch — completely
  16. track — a path
  17. board — a committee
  18. track — a song
  19. march — the month
  20. rock — music
  21. rock — a stone
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. scale — in music
  24. pass — to succeed

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