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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 · roll · pitch · rest · bear · land · saw · lie

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — a break
  3. land — to come down
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. scale — in music
  8. land — ground
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. land — a country
  12. roll — a cake
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. scale — size or range
  15. lie — to recline
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. bear — the animal
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — the tool
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. pitch — completely
  23. roll — a list
  24. rest — what's left

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