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

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. scale — in music
  3. bound — certain
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. kick — in football
  6. perch — the fish
  7. stock — goods
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. bound — tied together
  10. rule — a law
  11. rule — government
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. hand — help
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. stock — shares
  19. bound — obliged
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. scale — size or range
  22. hand — in cards
  23. pitch — completely
  24. kick — with a 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