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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: pitch · spring · cabinet · face · pass · bound · scale · game

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. face — to point toward
  3. pass — a permit
  4. scale — size or range
  5. scale — in music
  6. game — wild animals
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. game — a match
  9. pitch — completely
  10. spring — the season
  11. bound — certain
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bound — obliged
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. spring — of water
  19. bound — tied together
  20. spring — a coil
  21. face — to confront
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. face — part of the head

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