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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.

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
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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: pitch · squash · ball · scale · file · rule · cue · object

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. rule — government
  3. file — a tool
  4. object — an aim
  5. cue — a signal
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. object — a thing
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. cue — for pool
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. cue — a hint
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. squash — to crush
  15. scale — in music
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. object — to protest
  18. ball — a dance
  19. pitch — completely
  20. ball — a great time
  21. squash — the sport
  22. file — a line of people
  23. file — a document
  24. rule — a law

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