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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: stick · rest · ruler · march · tear · season · mouse · pitch

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. tear — to rip
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. tear — from crying
  9. rest — a break
  10. tear — from crying
  11. march — the month
  12. march — music
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. pitch — completely
  17. season — in sport
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — what's left
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. season — of the year
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. march — the month

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