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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: nail · scale · pop · racket · season · pitch · stock · roll

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. season — in sport
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. roll — a list
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. scale — size or range
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. roll — a cake
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. stock — goods
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. stock — shares
  20. pop — to visit
  21. season — of the year
  22. pop — soda
  23. scale — in music
  24. pitch — completely

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