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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pitcher · court · game · scale · pitch · hand · face · craft

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. scale — size or range
  6. game — wild animals
  7. court — for sport
  8. face — to point toward
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. court — of a king
  11. game — a match
  12. face — part of the head
  13. court — of law
  14. hand — help
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. pitch — completely
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. craft — a skill
  22. face — to confront
  23. craft — boats
  24. hand — in cards

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