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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: scale · cold · fine · ball · pitcher · suit · pitch · lie

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. suit — to fit
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. cold — an illness
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. ball — a dance
  9. pitch — completely
  10. cold — not warm
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. fine — all right
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. suit — in cards
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. fine — high quality
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. ball — a great time
  20. scale — in music
  21. scale — size or range
  22. lie — to recline
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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