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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.

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 · pit · ball · hand · squash · scale · pitch · fork

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. hand — help
  3. ball — a great time
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. pit — in a race
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. squash — the sport
  9. fork — in a road
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. scale — size or range
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. hand — in cards
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. pit — a hole
  17. pitch — completely
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. squash — to crush
  20. pound — a weight
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. ball — a dance
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. ball — a round shape

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