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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: fine · pitch · ground · pop · stand · club · ruler · tear

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. fine — all right
  4. club — for golf
  5. pop — soda
  6. pitch — completely
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. ground — crushed
  10. pop — music
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. club — a group
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. stand — to bear
  17. tear — from crying
  18. pop — to visit
  19. ground — the earth
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. fine — high quality
  22. ground — a position
  23. tear — to rip
  24. tear — from crying

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