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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 116 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: pitch · bat · scale · wax · drill · present · track · fine

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. present — the time now
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. scale — in music
  8. fine — all right
  9. drill — army training
  10. pitch — completely
  11. present — there
  12. scale — size or range
  13. track — to keep track
  14. drill — the tool
  15. bat — the animal
  16. track — a path
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. present — a gift
  19. fine — high quality
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. wax — to grow
  23. drill — a practice
  24. track — a song

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