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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.

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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: mate · scale · swing · sharp · pound · bulb · game · pitcher

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. scale — in music
  3. swing — music
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. mate — a friend
  8. bulb — for light
  9. game — wild animals
  10. pound — a weight
  11. swing — to play on
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. mate — a partner
  17. game — a match
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. swing — in golf
  21. mate — to breed
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. sharp — clever

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