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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: nail · roll · deal · content · cap · scale · pitch · prune

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. scale — in music
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. cap — a lid
  5. pitch — completely
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. roll — a cake
  11. cap — of ice
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. content — the amount
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — to trim
  17. content — happy
  18. cap — a hat
  19. roll — a list
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. deal — to handle
  22. scale — size or range
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. nail — for a hammer

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