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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: stem · bass · kick · charge · mark · ground · pitch · scale

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. ground — a position
  4. bass — the fish
  5. charge — a price
  6. pitch — completely
  7. scale — in music
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. kick — in football
  12. charge — in control
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. stem — to come from
  15. bass — low music
  16. scale — size or range
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. mark — a grade
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. charge — electricity
  23. ground — crushed
  24. mark — a trace

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