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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: scale · cold · bowl · fall · bear · fork · pitch · rock

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. fork — in a road
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. cold — an illness
  8. scale — in music
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. cold — not warm
  15. scale — size or range
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bear — the animal
  21. rock — a stone
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — the season
  24. rock — 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