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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: ball · stock · pitch · scale · bay · wound · saw · bowl

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. saw — the tool
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. ball — a dance
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. wound — an injury
  10. stock — goods
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. ball — a great time
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. saw — the tool
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. scale — in music
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. pitch — completely
  22. wound — an injury
  23. stock — shares
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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