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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: pitch · bark · march · jam · degree · track · firm · pass

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. track — a song
  3. bark — to shout
  4. march — the month
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. track — a path
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. degree — from a university
  11. pitch — completely
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. track — to keep track
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. march — the month
  18. firm — steady
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. firm — a company
  21. march — music
  22. degree — temperature
  23. degree — an amount
  24. firm — decided

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