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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: ruler · pitch · march · mouse · suit · sharp · kid · stem

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. kid — child
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. suit — clothes
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. sharp — clever
  8. march — the month
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. march — music
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. kid — to tease
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. suit — in cards
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. pitch — completely
  23. march — the month
  24. suit — to fit

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