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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 120 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: kid · scale · cap · field · spell · staff · mouse · pitch

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. spell — a short time
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. spell — letters
  6. scale — size or range
  7. field — for sport
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. kid — child
  11. field — farmland
  12. staff — employees
  13. staff — a stick
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. cap — a hat
  17. pitch — completely
  18. cap — a lid
  19. kid — to tease
  20. field — a subject
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. cap — of ice
  23. staff — employees
  24. spell — magic

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