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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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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: scale · pitch · lash · hand · tube · prune · nail · firm

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. hand — in cards
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. prune — to trim
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. scale — in music
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. pitch — completely
  11. firm — a company
  12. hand — help
  13. firm — decided
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. tube — the underground
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. tube — a container
  23. prune — to trim
  24. scale — size or range

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