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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: file · pitch · swing · roll · chair · bass · perch · drill

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. swing — music
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. bass — low music
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. perch — the fish
  7. file — a document
  8. file — a tool
  9. drill — army training
  10. roll — a list
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. roll — a cake
  13. swing — in golf
  14. file — a line of people
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. swing — to play on
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. chair — a leader
  21. drill — the tool
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. drill — a practice
  24. bass — the fish

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