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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: scale · club · fall · pitch · bowl · swing · bass · suit

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. swing — in golf
  3. suit — to fit
  4. scale — in music
  5. swing — to play on
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. pitch — completely
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. scale — size or range
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. fall — to drop
  13. club — a group
  14. swing — music
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. suit — clothes
  17. bass — the fish
  18. fall — the season
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bass — low music
  22. suit — in cards
  23. club — for dancing
  24. bowl — a football final

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