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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: current · pitcher · spell · scale · pitch · bat · club · file

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. spell — a short time
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. file — a document
  6. scale — size or range
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. club — a group
  9. club — for golf
  10. club — for dancing
  11. spell — magic
  12. file — a line of people
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. pitch — completely
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. file — a tool
  17. current — of water
  18. current — electric
  19. bat — the animal
  20. current — happening now
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. spell — letters
  24. pitcher — a jug

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