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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: foot · rest · scale · calf · march · stem · chip · pitch

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. scale — size or range
  3. march — the month
  4. chip — to eat
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. stem — to come from
  7. scale — in music
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. foot — a measure
  10. rest — a break
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. rest — what's left
  13. pitch — completely
  14. chip — for betting
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. march — music
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. rest — what's left
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. march — the month

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