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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: swing · wound · pitch · pass · object · mug · pit · date

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. swing — to play on
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. swing — music
  6. mug — a cup
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. date — the fruit
  9. wound — an injury
  10. object — to protest
  11. pitch — completely
  12. object — an aim
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. pit — a hole
  19. mug — a face
  20. wound — an injury
  21. mug — to rob
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. object — a thing
  24. pass — a permit

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