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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 120 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: content · scale · bore · fine · game · pitch · rush · racket

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. fine — all right
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. rush — hurry
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. game — wild animals
  10. scale — in music
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. game — a match
  13. content — the amount
  14. bore — to tire
  15. fine — high quality
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. pitch — completely
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. content — happy
  23. bore — to drill
  24. scale — size or range

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