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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: bass · rest · racket · bank · field · suit · current · pitch

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bank — for money
  5. rest — a break
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. suit — in cards
  9. current — of water
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. rest — what's left
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. field — for sport
  14. bank — for money
  15. field — a subject
  16. bass — the fish
  17. field — farmland
  18. suit — to fit
  19. pitch — completely
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bass — low music
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. current — happening now
  24. current — electric

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