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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: pitch · ruler · march · arm · net · prune · swing · ground

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. prune — to trim
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. pitch — completely
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. march — the month
  8. net — in sport
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. march — the month
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. net — after costs
  14. net — for catching
  15. prune — to trim
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ground — crushed
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. swing — to play on
  20. swing — music
  21. ground — a position
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. ground — the earth
  24. march — music

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