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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: scale · row · bark · bass · pitch · game · pit · safe

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pit — in a race
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. bass — the fish
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. row — a line
  9. game — wild animals
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. row — to paddle
  13. bark — to shout
  14. pit — a hole
  15. scale — in music
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bass — low music
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. scale — size or range
  20. pitch — completely
  21. game — a match
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. bark — of a tree

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