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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: swing · rush · racket · ground · pitch · leaves · chest · can

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. can — a tin
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. swing — to play on
  5. pitch — completely
  6. can — a tin
  7. chest — of your body
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. ground — the earth
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. swing — music
  13. swing — in golf
  14. ground — a position
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. ground — crushed
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. chest — of your body
  19. can — to be able to
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. chest — a box
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rush — to hurry

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