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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: lie · chip · march · pass · bass · mine · field · pitch

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. pass — a permit
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. bass — the fish
  7. march — the month
  8. march — music
  9. lie — to recline
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. bass — low music
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. chip — for betting
  16. mine — for digging
  17. march — the month
  18. field — farmland
  19. field — for sport
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. field — a subject
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. pitch — completely
  24. chip — to eat

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