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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: roll · charge · track · pitch · foot · clip · drill · scale

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. drill — a practice
  3. clip — to cut
  4. foot — a measure
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. roll — a cake
  7. drill — army training
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. charge — in control
  11. drill — the tool
  12. pitch — completely
  13. clip — for paper
  14. charge — electricity
  15. track — a path
  16. scale — in music
  17. clip — a video
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. track — a song
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. track — to keep track
  22. roll — a list
  23. charge — a price
  24. roll — on a roll

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