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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: deal · ground · march · pitch · board · ruler

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. ground — a position
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. board — to get on
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. march — the month
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. deal — to handle
  11. march — music
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. pitch — completely
  16. board — a committee
  17. ground — crushed
  18. ground — the earth

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