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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: kick · pass · straw · mug · track · march · pitch · firm

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. march — the month
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. mug — a face
  5. firm — decided
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. march — music
  8. mug — to rob
  9. firm — steady
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. track — a path
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. kick — in football
  14. mug — a cup
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. pass — a permit
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. march — the month
  21. pitch — completely
  22. track — to keep track
  23. track — a song
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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