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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.

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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: stick · land · saw · pitch · mark · scale · sharp · track

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. land — ground
  3. mark — a trace
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. saw — the tool
  6. scale — size or range
  7. sharp — clever
  8. land — a country
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. saw — the tool
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. track — to keep track
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. track — a song
  21. land — to come down
  22. mark — a grade
  23. scale — in music
  24. track — a path

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