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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: lash · bulb · hand · row · scale · pitch · charge · cabinet

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. hand — help
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. charge — in control
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bulb — for light
  7. row — a line
  8. charge — a price
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. hand — in cards
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. bulb — for light
  14. scale — in music
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pitch — completely
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. scale — size or range
  21. charge — electricity
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. row — to paddle

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