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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 · game · temple · court · field · prune · bear · scale

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pitch — completely
  4. field — farmland
  5. field — for sport
  6. court — of a king
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. field — a subject
  12. game — wild animals
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. bear — the animal
  16. court — for sport
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. bear — the animal
  20. court — of law
  21. scale — size or range
  22. game — a match
  23. prune — to trim
  24. scale — for weighing

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