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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.

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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: tube · deal · pitch · scale · rule · fall · chair · pop

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. chair — a leader
  3. pop — soda
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. rule — government
  6. scale — in music
  7. fall — to drop
  8. deal — to handle
  9. pitch — completely
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. scale — size or range
  12. fall — the season
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. fall — to drop
  15. pop — to visit
  16. rule — a law
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. tube — the underground
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. pop — music
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. tube — a container

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