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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
468
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: spell · scale · stick · date · hide · lean · bank · pitch

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. date — the fruit
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. lean — thin
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. lean — to bend
  12. bank — for money
  13. scale — size or range
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. spell — magic
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. bank — of a river
  22. spell — a short time
  23. bank — for money
  24. spell — letters

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