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

Word bank: pitch · fork · rule · scale · mouse · fall

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. fall — to drop
  3. pitch — completely
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. scale — in music
  6. rule — government
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. fork — in a road
  15. rule — a law
  16. fall — the season
  17. fall — to drop
  18. mouse — the animal

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