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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: hide · scale · row · bay · court · temple · bowl · pitch

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. scale — in music
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. row — to paddle
  8. row — a line
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. court — of a king
  15. court — for sport
  16. pitch — completely
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. scale — size or range
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. court — of 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