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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
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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: row · club · pitch · temple · spell · scale · mug · wake

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. mug — to rob
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. spell — a short time
  7. spell — magic
  8. wake — a trail
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. mug — a face
  11. mug — a cup
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. club — for dancing
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. scale — size or range
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. club — for golf
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. club — a group
  21. row — a line
  22. scale — in music
  23. row — to paddle
  24. temple — a place of worship

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