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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bear · scale · pitch · snap · file · bound · spell · drill

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. drill — the tool
  6. spell — letters
  7. pitch — completely
  8. snap — to click
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. file — a tool
  11. scale — size or range
  12. spell — magic
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bound — obliged
  15. scale — in music
  16. bear — the animal
  17. file — a document
  18. file — a line of people
  19. bound — tied together
  20. drill — a practice
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. drill — army training
  23. spell — a short time
  24. bear — the animal

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