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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.

Make a worksheet

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
YesNo
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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: bass · vault · scale · pitch · charge · stick · land · net

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. pitch — completely
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. land — to come down
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. net — for catching
  7. land — ground
  8. net — in sport
  9. bass — low music
  10. charge — a price
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. scale — in music
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. land — a country
  17. bass — the fish
  18. charge — electricity
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. vault — a safe
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. net — after costs
  24. charge — in control

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