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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 116 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: object · staff · cold · stand · scale · bank · dip · pitch

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. cold — an illness
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. staff — employees
  6. scale — size or range
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. dip — to sink
  10. object — an aim
  11. bank — of a river
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. stand — to bear
  17. bank — for money
  18. pitch — completely
  19. staff — employees
  20. object — to protest
  21. object — a thing
  22. staff — a stick
  23. bank — for money
  24. cold — not warm

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