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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
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: mug · kid · branch · mine · pitch · mouse · field · scale

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. kid — to tease
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. scale — in music
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mug — a face
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. mug — to rob
  14. scale — size or range
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. branch — a division
  17. field — a subject
  18. field — farmland
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. kid — child
  21. field — for sport
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mug — a cup
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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