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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: pitch · nail · scale · game · wound · trunk · fine · pound

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. pitch — completely
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. scale — in music
  7. wound — an injury
  8. game — wild animals
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. fine — all right
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. pound — a weight
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. wound — an injury
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. game — a match
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. fine — high quality
  24. scale — size or range

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