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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 116 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: mine · lie · pitch · club · suit · bay · cell · scale

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  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. club — for golf
  2. lie — to recline
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. cell — in biology
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. mine — for digging
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. club — for dancing
  9. suit — clothes
  10. club — a group
  11. suit — to fit
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. scale — size or range
  16. scale — in music
  17. suit — in cards
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. cell — a phone
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. pitch — completely
  23. bay — a horse colour
  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