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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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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: stand · scale · swing · pitch · kick · march

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. swing — in golf
  3. march — music
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. swing — to play on
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. pitch — completely
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. kick — in football
  10. scale — in music
  11. march — the month
  12. scale — size or range
  13. march — the month
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. stand — to bear
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. swing — music

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