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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 · fan · race · net · mouse · foot · scale · row

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. foot — a measure
  4. row — to paddle
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. row — a line
  9. scale — size or range
  10. race — the arms race
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. race — humankind
  13. net — after costs
  14. scale — in music
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. net — for catching
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. net — in sport

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