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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 120 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: pit · perch · bass · coach · ground · scale · cabinet · wind

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. bass — the fish
  3. ground — the earth
  4. scale — size or range
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pit — in a race
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. perch — the fish
  10. pit — a hole
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. scale — in music
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. ground — a position
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — moving air
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bass — low music

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