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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: pitch · scale · row · ball · lie · kid · pound · roll

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. row — to paddle
  3. pitch — completely
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. roll — a cake
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. roll — a list
  11. row — a line
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. ball — a great time
  15. scale — size or range
  16. ball — a dance
  17. lie — to recline
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. kid — to tease
  21. pound — a weight
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. kid — child
  24. scale — in music

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