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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
468
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: pound · scale · hand · pitch · leaves · fork · fan · hide

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. scale — in music
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hand — help
  17. scale — size or range
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. hand — in cards
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. fork — in a road
  23. pitch — completely
  24. scale — for weighing

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