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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: cell · pitch · swing · wave · bowl · bank · trunk · content

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bank — of a river
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. bank — for money
  9. content — the amount
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. swing — to play on
  15. content — happy
  16. pitch — completely
  17. swing — in golf
  18. cell — in biology
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. swing — music
  24. bank — for money

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