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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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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: deal · pitch · sharp · bear · march · straw · ruler · court

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  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. ruler — for measuring
  2. bear — the animal
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. march — the month
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. court — for sport
  9. pitch — completely
  10. bear — the animal
  11. march — the month
  12. deal — to handle
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. sharp — clever
  15. court — of a king
  16. march — music
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. court — of law
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — a monarch
  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