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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: kid · leaves · pit · stand · pass · ball · bear · march

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. bear — the animal
  3. march — music
  4. ball — a great time
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. march — the month
  7. bear — the animal
  8. ball — a dance
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. pass — a permit
  11. pit — a hole
  12. stand — to bear
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. kid — to tease
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. pit — in a race
  21. kid — child
  22. march — the month
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. pass — to spend time

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