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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 124 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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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: temple · bat · mouse · scale · pitch · saw · wind · club

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. scale — size or range
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. wind — moving air
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. pitch — completely
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. scale — in music
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. club — a group
  16. club — for dancing
  17. saw — the tool
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. club — for golf
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. wind — moving air
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. saw — the tool

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