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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: bear · firm · bat · march · deal · board · leaves · pitcher

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bear — the animal
  4. board — a committee
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. firm — decided
  7. firm — steady
  8. firm — a company
  9. bear — the animal
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. board — to get on
  14. bat — the animal
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. deal — to handle
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. march — music
  22. march — the month
  23. march — the month
  24. bat — in an idiom

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