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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: stick · saw · pitcher · ground · pass · track · march · row

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. saw — the tool
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. ground — a position
  6. track — to keep track
  7. march — the month
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. track — a path
  12. march — the month
  13. saw — the tool
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. track — a song
  16. march — music
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. ground — the earth
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. row — a line
  21. row — to paddle
  22. pass — a permit
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. ground — crushed

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