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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
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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: foot · scale · pitcher · rock · file · face · pitch · land

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. file — a document
  3. rock — music
  4. face — to point toward
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. file — a tool
  7. face — to confront
  8. land — a country
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. scale — in music
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. face — part of the head
  15. land — ground
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. file — a line of people
  21. pitch — completely
  22. rock — a stone
  23. land — to come down
  24. foot — a measure

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