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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: dip · pitch · scale · ground · mine · net · mark · plane

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. plane — a tool
  3. mark — a grade
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. scale — in music
  10. pitch — completely
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. ground — the earth
  13. mark — a trace
  14. net — in sport
  15. net — after costs
  16. ground — a position
  17. dip — to sink
  18. mine — for digging
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. ground — crushed
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. net — for catching

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