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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.

Make a worksheet

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: temple · mouse · object · patient · arm · pitch · hand · scale

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. pitch — completely
  11. object — to protest
  12. hand — in cards
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. scale — size or range
  20. object — a thing
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. hand — help
  23. object — an aim
  24. patient — a sick person

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