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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: rash · kid · sharp · cabinet · swing · can · bass · pitch

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. swing — to play on
  3. bass — low music
  4. sharp — clever
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. can — a tin
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. rash — a series
  14. swing — music
  15. kid — child
  16. kid — to tease
  17. bass — the fish
  18. can — to be able to
  19. swing — in golf
  20. rash — hasty
  21. pitch — completely
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. can — a tin

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