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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: row · rush · firm · game · pitcher · march · track · arm

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. march — music
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. game — wild animals
  6. track — a song
  7. row — to paddle
  8. game — a match
  9. rush — hurry
  10. firm — steady
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. track — to keep track
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. track — a path
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. march — the month
  20. firm — decided
  21. row — a line
  22. firm — a company
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. arm — part of the body

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