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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: nail · pitch · tear · scale · pop · spell · dip · mine

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. spell — magic
  3. pop — soda
  4. tear — from crying
  5. pop — music
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. spell — letters
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. spell — a short time
  12. pop — to visit
  13. scale — in music
  14. mine — for digging
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. tear — from crying
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. dip — to sink
  20. scale — size or range
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. pitch — completely
  23. tear — to rip
  24. dip — a sauce

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