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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: pitch · net · root · pass · leaves · deal · straw · scale

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. net — in sport
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. deal — to handle
  9. net — after costs
  10. net — for catching
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. root — the cause
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. scale — in music
  16. pass — a permit
  17. root — of a plant
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. root — of a word
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. pitch — completely
  24. scale — size or range

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