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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: firm · scale · pitch · rash · rule · mine · game · cell

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. cell — a phone
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. firm — decided
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. mine — for digging
  10. scale — in music
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. cell — in biology
  14. game — a match
  15. rule — a law
  16. scale — size or range
  17. firm — a company
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rule — government
  21. pitch — completely
  22. rash — a series
  23. firm — steady
  24. game — wild animals

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