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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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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 · fall · chip · cue · pitch · bore · fan · scale

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  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. pitch — completely
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. chip — to eat
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bore — to tire
  7. chip — for betting
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. fall — the season
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. pound — a weight
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. cue — for pool
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fall — to drop
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. scale — in music
  22. cue — a hint
  23. cue — a signal
  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