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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 120 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 · club · march · sharp · ball · hide · pitch · bark

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. sharp — clever
  5. ball — a dance
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. club — for golf
  8. march — music
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. ball — a great time
  13. march — the month
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. march — the month
  16. fine — high quality
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. pitch — completely
  21. club — a group
  22. fine — all right
  23. bark — to shout
  24. hide — to keep secret

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