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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 120 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: march · file · scale · deal · bay · pass · pitcher · stand

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. march — music
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. march — the month
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. scale — in music
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. file — a tool
  11. march — the month
  12. file — a line of people
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. file — a document
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. deal — to handle
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. scale — size or range

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