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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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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 · pit · pitch · march · face · pass · board · file

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  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. face — part of the head
  2. march — the month
  3. pit — in a race
  4. file — a document
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. file — a line of people
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pitch — completely
  9. face — to point toward
  10. pass — a permit
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. face — to confront
  15. board — a committee
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. march — the month
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. file — a tool
  21. march — music
  22. board — to get on
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  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