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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 116 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: pitch · scale · fine · lash · cabinet · swing · rush · key

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. swing — to play on
  3. pitch — completely
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. swing — in golf
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. rush — hurry
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. key — in music
  15. key — the most important part
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. swing — music
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. fine — high quality
  21. scale — in music
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. key — for a lock
  24. fine — all right

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