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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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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: face · scale · pit · pitch · mouse · bowl · snap · patient

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. face — part of the head
  3. scale — in music
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. pit — in a race
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. face — to confront
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. pitch — completely
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. pit — a hole
  21. scale — size or range
  22. snap — to click
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. face — to point toward

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