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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 · pitch · stick · fine · march · root · perch · stand

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. root — of a plant
  5. stand — to bear
  6. pitch — completely
  7. march — the month
  8. march — music
  9. fine — all right
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. perch — the fish
  14. root — the cause
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. march — the month
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. fine — high quality
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. root — of a word
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. pitch — a sports field

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