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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: toast · cap · stick · game · rash · fine · pitch · scale

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. pitch — completely
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. rash — hasty
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. fine — high quality
  9. game — a match
  10. game — wild animals
  11. cap — a hat
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. cap — a lid
  16. scale — size or range
  17. rash — a series
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. toast — bread
  20. fine — all right
  21. cap — of ice
  22. scale — in music
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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