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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
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: fine · ruler · march · wound · straw · calf · stock · pitch

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. fine — high quality
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. march — music
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. wound — an injury
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. march — the month
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. march — the month
  17. fine — all right
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. pitch — completely
  20. wound — an injury
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. stock — goods
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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