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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.

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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: bank · swing · chair · hide · pitch · drill

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. drill — army training
  4. bank — of a river
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. swing — in golf
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. drill — a practice
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. swing — to play on
  11. pitch — completely
  12. bank — for money
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. swing — music
  15. chair — a leader
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. drill — the tool
  18. chair — a professorship

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