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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 120 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: rush · swing · pass · stick · snap · bank · pitcher · sharp

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. swing — in golf
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. pass — a permit
  6. swing — to play on
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. bank — for money
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. sharp — clever
  15. swing — music
  16. bank — of a river
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. snap — to click
  21. rush — hurry
  22. bank — for money
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. sharp — exactly

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