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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: scale · pitch · mate · firm · perch · cue · last · spring

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. last — to go on
  4. firm — steady
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. spring — a coil
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. mate — to breed
  9. firm — a company
  10. spring — of water
  11. last — final
  12. last — finally
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. firm — decided
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. cue — for pool
  17. perch — the fish
  18. mate — a partner
  19. scale — in music
  20. scale — size or range
  21. cue — a hint
  22. cue — a signal
  23. spring — the season
  24. mate — a friend

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