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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: lash · rock · pitch · drill · cap · arm · scale · spring

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. scale — in music
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. cap — a hat
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. drill — the tool
  7. spring — of water
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. drill — a practice
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. cap — a lid
  12. scale — size or range
  13. cap — of ice
  14. spring — a coil
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. spring — the season
  18. pitch — completely
  19. rock — a stone
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. drill — army training
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. rock — music
  24. pitch — a sports field

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