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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pitcher · key · rash · swing · march · pitch · bank · face

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — for money
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. swing — to play on
  5. key — for a lock
  6. pitch — completely
  7. march — the month
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. face — to point toward
  11. march — the month
  12. key — in music
  13. rash — a series
  14. swing — in golf
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. bank — of a river
  17. face — part of the head
  18. face — to confront
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. march — music
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. rash — hasty
  23. swing — music
  24. key — the most important part

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