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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · track · leaves · pitch · net · cell · coach · pit

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. cell — a phone
  3. track — a song
  4. track — to keep track
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. net — after costs
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. pitch — completely
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. track — a path
  11. net — for catching
  12. pit — a hole
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. net — in sport
  16. pit — in a race
  17. cell — in biology
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. scale — in music
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. coach — a trainer

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