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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: scale · cabinet · pitch · bank · track · hand · nail · mouse

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. pitch — completely
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. bank — of a river
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. scale — in music
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. track — a path
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — for money
  21. hand — help
  22. hand — in cards
  23. track — a song
  24. scale — size or range

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