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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: spell · pitch · charge · trunk · scale · date · club · bass

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. date — the fruit
  3. scale — size or range
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. charge — electricity
  8. club — a group
  9. spell — magic
  10. spell — a short time
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. charge — a price
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. bass — the fish
  16. charge — in control
  17. club — for golf
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. club — for dancing
  20. bass — low music
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. spell — letters
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. scale — in music

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