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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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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: perch · pitch · court · club · scale · charge · pound · ground

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. club — a group
  3. perch — the fish
  4. ground — a position
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. charge — a price
  7. pound — a weight
  8. club — for golf
  9. ground — the earth
  10. charge — in control
  11. court — for sport
  12. charge — electricity
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. pitch — completely
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. scale — in music
  17. club — for dancing
  18. scale — size or range
  19. court — of a king
  20. ground — crushed
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. court — of law
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. perch — for a bird

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