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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 116 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: fall · pitch · chip · swing · prune · wind · bank · last

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. fall — to drop
  3. chip — to eat
  4. last — to go on
  5. last — finally
  6. pitch — completely
  7. wind — moving air
  8. fall — the season
  9. chip — for betting
  10. swing — music
  11. swing — in golf
  12. wind — moving air
  13. prune — to trim
  14. last — final
  15. bank — of a river
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. bank — for money
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bank — for money
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. fall — to drop
  24. swing — to play on

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