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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 116 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: suit · ruler · capital · court · pitch · bore · march · mark

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. court — of law
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. mark — a trace
  6. bore — to drill
  7. march — the month
  8. mark — a grade
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. court — for sport
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. bore — to tire
  15. suit — in cards
  16. capital — money
  17. suit — to fit
  18. court — of a king
  19. capital — a city
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. march — music
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. suit — clothes
  24. pitch — completely

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