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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: prune · face · lean · pitch · bass · deal · scale · fine

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. bass — low music
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. face — to point toward
  5. prune — to trim
  6. fine — high quality
  7. face — to confront
  8. lean — thin
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. fine — all right
  12. prune — to trim
  13. scale — size or range
  14. scale — in music
  15. bass — the fish
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. lean — to bend
  18. deal — to handle
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. pitch — completely
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. face — part of the head

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