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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: mug · face · mine · scale · mouse · pitch · ground · dip

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. ground — crushed
  3. mug — to rob
  4. scale — in music
  5. mug — a face
  6. mine — for digging
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. dip — to sink
  9. face — part of the head
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. mug — a cup
  13. ground — a position
  14. ground — the earth
  15. scale — size or range
  16. face — to point toward
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. pitch — completely
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. face — to confront

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