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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: lean · scale · mark · deal · pitch · bound · bear · file

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. lean — thin
  4. mark — a grade
  5. file — a line of people
  6. file — a tool
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. scale — in music
  9. bound — tied together
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. bound — obliged
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. mark — a trace
  14. file — a document
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. bound — certain
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bear — the animal
  21. lean — to bend
  22. deal — to handle
  23. bear — the animal
  24. pitch — completely

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