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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: mug · pitch · swing · board · bass · file · fan · trunk

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. bass — low music
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. swing — in golf
  5. mug — a cup
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. swing — to play on
  8. mug — to rob
  9. swing — music
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. bass — the fish
  12. file — a line of people
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. board — a committee
  17. board — to get on
  18. file — a document
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. file — a tool
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pitch — completely
  24. fan — a supporter

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