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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: bank · toast · nail · scale · mark · pitch · last · kid

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. last — finally
  3. toast — bread
  4. pitch — completely
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. bank — for money
  7. scale — in music
  8. last — to go on
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. bank — for money
  13. mark — a trace
  14. kid — to tease
  15. scale — size or range
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. mark — a grade
  20. last — final
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bank — of a river
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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