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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: scale · row · foot · jam · pitch · mate · press · kick

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  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. jam — a tight spot
  3. scale — size or range
  4. kick — in football
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. foot — a measure
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. press — to push
  12. press — newspapers
  13. mate — a friend
  14. row — to paddle
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. press — a publisher
  18. mate — a partner
  19. row — a line
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. mate — to breed
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  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