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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 116 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: rush · wind · firm · stand · march · charge · pitch · row

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. row — to paddle
  4. charge — in control
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. march — music
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. charge — electricity
  10. firm — steady
  11. march — the month
  12. wind — moving air
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. march — the month
  16. row — a line
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. stand — to bear
  19. charge — a price
  20. rush — hurry
  21. wind — moving air
  22. pitch — completely
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. firm — a company

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