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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: cap · nail · file · wind · pitcher · bowl · pitch · scale

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. file — a tool
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. cap — a hat
  6. scale — size or range
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitch — completely
  12. wind — moving air
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. scale — in music
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. wind — moving air
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. cap — of ice
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. file — a line of people
  23. file — a document
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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