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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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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: ball · mine · face · prune · pitch · track · scale · firm

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. track — a song
  3. scale — in music
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. ball — a dance
  6. prune — to trim
  7. scale — size or range
  8. pitch — completely
  9. face — part of the head
  10. firm — decided
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. face — to confront
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. mine — for digging
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. face — to point toward
  17. firm — steady
  18. track — a path
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. track — to keep track
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. ball — a great time
  24. prune — to trim

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