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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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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: march · club · saw · ruler · pitch · hide

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. march — music
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. pitch — completely
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. saw — the tool
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. march — the month
  14. club — for dancing
  15. club — for golf
  16. saw — the tool
  17. march — the month
  18. club — a group

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