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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.

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: can · scale · toast · pit · squash · pitch · bass · charge

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. can — to be able to
  3. pit — in a race
  4. bass — the fish
  5. squash — to crush
  6. squash — the sport
  7. pitch — completely
  8. can — a tin
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. can — a tin
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. charge — electricity
  15. bass — low music
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. pit — a hole
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. scale — size or range
  22. scale — in music
  23. toast — bread
  24. charge — in control

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