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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: current · scale · pitch · game · pitcher · nail · land · face

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. face — to point toward
  4. scale — in music
  5. scale — size or range
  6. face — part of the head
  7. land — a country
  8. land — ground
  9. current — happening now
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. game — a match
  17. face — to confront
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. pitch — completely
  20. land — to come down
  21. current — electric
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. game — wild animals
  24. pitch — a sports field

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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