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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 120 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: bowl · ball · stick · scale · pitch · branch · nail · perch

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. scale — size or range
  3. pitch — completely
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. scale — in music
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. ball — a great time
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. branch — a division
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. ball — a dance
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. perch — the fish
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. scale — for weighing

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