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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 120 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: pitch · file · object · board · pound · foot · scale · ground

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. ground — crushed
  4. board — to get on
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. pound — a weight
  8. file — a line of people
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. object — to protest
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. object — a thing
  15. ground — the earth
  16. board — a committee
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. scale — in music
  19. scale — size or range
  20. file — a document
  21. pitch — completely
  22. foot — a measure
  23. object — an aim
  24. file — a tool

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