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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 120 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: key · bound · march · club · stand · bark · pitch · bulb

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. key — in music
  4. march — the month
  5. march — the month
  6. bulb — for light
  7. key — the most important part
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. club — for dancing
  10. bulb — for light
  11. pitch — completely
  12. club — for golf
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bound — certain
  16. key — for a lock
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. march — music
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bark — to shout
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. club — a group
  23. stand — to bear
  24. stand — on your feet

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