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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: pitch · plane · mine · face · leaves · scale · bass · temple

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. scale — in music
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. bass — the fish
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. mine — for digging
  12. face — part of the head
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. pitch — completely
  17. face — to confront
  18. bass — low music
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. scale — size or range
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. face — to point toward
  24. plane — a tool

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