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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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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: march · ruler · stick · wake · calf · pitch · branch · bore

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. wake — a trail
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. march — the month
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. march — music
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. pitch — completely
  10. bore — to drill
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. march — the month
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. branch — a division
  23. bore — to tire
  24. calf — of the leg

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