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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.

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 · snap · scale · fine · toast · mug · bark · court

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. bark — to shout
  6. court — for sport
  7. court — of law
  8. mug — a cup
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. fine — high quality
  11. mug — to rob
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. fine — all right
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. scale — in music
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. scale — size or range
  18. court — of a king
  19. toast — bread
  20. pitch — completely
  21. snap — to click
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. mug — a face

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