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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: bear · key · temple · bass · march · bat · mate · pitch

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. bass — low music
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bass — the fish
  5. key — for a lock
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. bear — the animal
  8. march — the month
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. key — in music
  12. march — music
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. mate — a friend
  15. bat — the animal
  16. mate — a partner
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bear — the animal
  19. key — the most important part
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. march — the month
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. mate — to breed

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