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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.

Make a worksheet

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: wound · temple · pitch · scale · cap · object

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. object — an aim
  3. object — to protest
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. pitch — completely
  6. object — a thing
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. wound — an injury
  11. cap — of ice
  12. wound — an injury
  13. cap — a hat
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. cap — a lid
  17. scale — in music
  18. pitch — a sales talk

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