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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: rule · content · scale · cue · stick · dip · pitch · shower

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  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. pitch — a sports field
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. scale — in music
  5. pitch — completely
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. shower — to wash
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. dip — to sink
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. cue — a hint
  13. content — happy
  14. content — the amount
  15. cue — a signal
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. scale — size or range
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. shower — rain
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. rule — government
  22. cue — for pool
  23. rule — a law
  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