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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: pitch · roll · staff · fan · last · swing · track · rash

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pitch — completely
  3. staff — a stick
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. track — a path
  6. last — finally
  7. track — to keep track
  8. staff — employees
  9. rash — a series
  10. rash — hasty
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. swing — music
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. staff — employees
  16. swing — in golf
  17. track — a song
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. roll — a list
  20. last — to go on
  21. last — final
  22. swing — to play on
  23. roll — a cake
  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