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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: cold · fine · fan · mouse · pitch · scale · arm · toast

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. pitch — completely
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. scale — in music
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. fine — all right
  14. cold — an illness
  15. scale — size or range
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. fine — high quality
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. cold — not warm
  24. toast — bread

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