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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 116 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: stick · degree · fan · swing · pass · lean · key · pitch

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. lean — thin
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. lean — to bend
  8. swing — in golf
  9. degree — an amount
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. degree — from a university
  15. key — for a lock
  16. swing — music
  17. swing — to play on
  18. key — in music
  19. degree — temperature
  20. pitch — completely
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. key — the most important part
  24. fan — a supporter

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