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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: stock · pitch · fine · rule · bear · game · scale · land

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. land — a country
  3. game — wild animals
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. scale — size or range
  6. rule — a law
  7. pitch — completely
  8. bear — the animal
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. game — a match
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bear — the animal
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. stock — goods
  15. fine — all right
  16. rule — government
  17. land — ground
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. stock — shares
  21. fine — high quality
  22. land — to come down
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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