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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. cap — a hat
  3. pop — soda
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. cap — a lid
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mark — a trace
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. pop — music
  12. squash — to crush
  13. scale — size or range
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. bank — for money
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — of a river
  19. cap — of ice
  20. pitch — completely
  21. pop — to visit
  22. squash — the sport
  23. scale — in music
  24. scale — for weighing

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