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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: scale · snap · last · pitch · row · field · pop · cue

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. row — to paddle
  4. last — finally
  5. scale — in music
  6. pitch — completely
  7. snap — to click
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. cue — a hint
  10. field — a subject
  11. field — farmland
  12. row — a line
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. pop — to visit
  15. pop — music
  16. cue — a signal
  17. last — to go on
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. scale — size or range
  20. last — final
  21. pop — soda
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. field — for sport

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