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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: pound · racket · firm · drill · swing · pitch

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. drill — army training
  5. swing — to play on
  6. drill — a practice
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. firm — steady
  11. firm — a company
  12. pitch — completely
  13. swing — music
  14. drill — the tool
  15. firm — decided
  16. swing — in golf
  17. pound — a weight
  18. pitch — a sports field

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