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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. sharp — clever
  9. march — music
  10. key — in music
  11. march — the month
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. key — the most important part
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. key — for a lock
  19. prune — to trim
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. fine — high quality
  22. prune — to trim
  23. pitch — completely
  24. fine — all right

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