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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: degree · pitch · nail · pass · scale · arm · sharp · mark

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. scale — size or range
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. mark — a trace
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. sharp — clever
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. mark — a grade
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. scale — in music
  21. pass — a permit
  22. degree — from a university
  23. degree — temperature
  24. degree — an amount

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