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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: band · pitch · club · ruler · nail · tear · march · can

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. tear — from crying
  4. club — for dancing
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — a tin
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. band — a music group
  10. club — a group
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. march — music
  15. tear — from crying
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. march — the month
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. can — to be able to
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. band — a ring
  22. tear — to rip
  23. club — for golf
  24. pitch — completely

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