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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.

Make a worksheet

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: pitch · wave · chest · face · ball · rush · root · scale

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. pitch — completely
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. face — part of the head
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. root — of a word
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. ball — a great time
  10. chest — of your body
  11. scale — size or range
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. chest — of your body
  14. scale — in music
  15. root — the cause
  16. root — of a plant
  17. rush — hurry
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. chest — a box
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. face — to point toward
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. face — to confront
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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