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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: deal · mug · land · bore · scale · pitch · present · bank

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. present — the time now
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. land — a country
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. present — there
  7. deal — to handle
  8. present — a gift
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. bank — for money
  11. mug — a face
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. bank — for money
  14. pitch — completely
  15. scale — size or range
  16. bore — to drill
  17. mug — to rob
  18. bore — to tire
  19. land — to come down
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. scale — in music
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bank — of a river
  24. mug — a cup

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