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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: pitch · ball · bay · march · root · swing · squash · bank

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. swing — music
  5. bank — for money
  6. root — of a word
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. swing — to play on
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. march — music
  12. ball — a great time
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. ball — a dance
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. bank — of a river
  17. march — the month
  18. swing — in golf
  19. bank — for money
  20. squash — to crush
  21. root — the cause
  22. squash — the sport
  23. pitch — completely
  24. root — of a plant

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