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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: bound · track · bulb · pitch · march · current · jam · ground

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. track — to keep track
  3. bound — certain
  4. bound — tied together
  5. track — a path
  6. ground — the earth
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. march — the month
  9. current — electric
  10. current — happening now
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. ground — a position
  13. ground — crushed
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pitch — completely
  16. bulb — for light
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. current — of water
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. march — the month
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. track — a song
  24. bound — obliged

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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