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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: rule · pitch · land · stand · sharp · club · net · ruler

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. rule — government
  5. land — ground
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. net — after costs
  9. club — a group
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. sharp — clever
  12. land — a country
  13. rule — a law
  14. club — for dancing
  15. net — in sport
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. land — to come down
  18. stand — to bear
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. pitch — completely
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. club — for golf

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