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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.

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: wave · net · leaves · swing · date · pitcher · pitch · clip

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. net — for catching
  8. swing — music
  9. swing — in golf
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. clip — for paper
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. date — the fruit
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. clip — a video
  17. swing — to play on
  18. clip — to cut
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pitch — completely
  23. net — after costs
  24. wave — of the sea

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