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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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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 · pound · row · bowl · swing · fine · craft · mark

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. mark — a trace
  4. mark — a grade
  5. swing — music
  6. fine — all right
  7. pound — a weight
  8. row — to paddle
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. row — a line
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. fine — high quality
  13. pitch — completely
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. swing — in golf
  17. swing — to play on
  18. craft — a skill
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. craft — boats
  24. pitch — a sports field

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