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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: court · pitch · pop · charge · scale · bass · drill · kid

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. court — of law
  3. pitch — completely
  4. pop — to visit
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. drill — the tool
  7. drill — a practice
  8. charge — in control
  9. drill — army training
  10. bass — low music
  11. kid — to tease
  12. bass — the fish
  13. charge — electricity
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. court — of a king
  16. scale — in music
  17. kid — child
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. charge — a price
  20. court — for sport
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. scale — size or range
  23. pop — soda
  24. pop — 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