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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: arm · scale · lie · rush · board · pitch · march · fork

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. lie — to recline
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. board — to get on
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. scale — size or range
  11. march — the month
  12. march — the month
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rush — hurry
  17. pitch — completely
  18. fork — in a road
  19. board — a committee
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. scale — in music
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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