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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: foot · pass · bay · pitch · key · bore · band · stand

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. key — in music
  4. band — a music group
  5. stand — to bear
  6. key — the most important part
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. bore — to tire
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. band — a ring
  13. foot — a measure
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. bore — to drill
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. pitch — completely
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. key — for a lock
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bore — gave birth

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