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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: march · hand · pitch · toast · racket · stand · key · ground

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. hand — in cards
  4. ground — a position
  5. stand — to bear
  6. toast — bread
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. march — music
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. key — in music
  12. pitch — completely
  13. key — for a lock
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. march — the month
  17. ground — crushed
  18. ground — the earth
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. key — the most important part
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. march — the month

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