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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pitcher · season · net · suit · march · ruler · game · bark

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. suit — to fit
  3. net — for catching
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. game — a match
  6. suit — in cards
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. season — of the year
  9. march — the month
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. bark — to shout
  12. game — wild animals
  13. net — after costs
  14. suit — clothes
  15. net — in sport
  16. march — the month
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. season — in sport
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bark — of a tree

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