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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.

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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: rest · scale · content · fine · file · deal · present · pitch

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. pitch — completely
  3. present — the time now
  4. fine — high quality
  5. rest — what's left
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. file — a tool
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. content — happy
  10. fine — all right
  11. rest — a break
  12. content — the amount
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. file — a line of people
  16. scale — in music
  17. scale — size or range
  18. deal — to handle
  19. present — a gift
  20. rest — what's left
  21. present — there
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. file — a document
  24. deal — a big deal

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