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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: last · pitch · cue · press · track · bore · wave · scale

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. bore — to drill
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. cue — a signal
  5. cue — a hint
  6. last — to go on
  7. scale — in music
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. press — to push
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. bore — to tire
  14. pitch — completely
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. track — a path
  17. scale — size or range
  18. cue — for pool
  19. press — a publisher
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. last — final
  22. track — a song
  23. press — newspapers
  24. track — to keep track

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