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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 116 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: wake · scale · pitch · fine · court · drill · net · charge

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. net — after costs
  5. wake — a trail
  6. drill — the tool
  7. scale — size or range
  8. court — of a king
  9. fine — high quality
  10. charge — a price
  11. court — for sport
  12. court — of law
  13. drill — army training
  14. drill — a practice
  15. net — for catching
  16. charge — in control
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. charge — electricity
  19. fine — all right
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. net — in sport
  22. scale — in music
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. fine — a penalty

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