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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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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: press · pitch · pit · date · ground · pound · swing · bank

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. bank — for money
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. bank — of a river
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. press — to push
  9. swing — in golf
  10. date — the fruit
  11. bank — for money
  12. press — newspapers
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. pit — a hole
  15. ground — a position
  16. pitch — completely
  17. ground — crushed
  18. swing — to play on
  19. pit — in a race
  20. pound — a weight
  21. press — a publisher
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. swing — music
  24. pound — for dogs

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