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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
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 · toast · nail · stick · sharp · chair · pitch · bulb

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. sharp — clever
  4. scale — size or range
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. scale — in music
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. toast — bread
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. bulb — for light
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. pitch — completely
  21. chair — a leader
  22. bulb — for light
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. sharp — exactly

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