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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: pitch · bank · hide · fork · spell · scale · bowl · plane

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  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. spell — letters
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bank — for money
  7. pitch — completely
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. spell — magic
  11. bank — for money
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. spell — a short time
  17. bank — of a river
  18. fork — in a road
  19. scale — size or range
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. plane — a tool
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bowl — a football final
  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