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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: bore · track · net · ground · swing · pitch · key · march

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. key — for a lock
  3. track — a song
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. track — to keep track
  6. track — a path
  7. march — music
  8. bore — to tire
  9. swing — to play on
  10. pitch — completely
  11. ground — a position
  12. bore — to drill
  13. march — the month
  14. swing — music
  15. net — for catching
  16. swing — in golf
  17. march — the month
  18. key — in music
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. ground — crushed
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. key — the most important part
  23. ground — the earth
  24. net — after costs

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