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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: ruler · club · march · pitch · chair · ball · bowl · stem

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. ball — a great time
  5. chair — a leader
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. march — the month
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. march — the month
  11. club — for golf
  12. ball — a dance
  13. march — music
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. pitch — completely
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. stem — to come from
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. club — a group
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. club — for dancing

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