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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: bass · last · swing · fan · trunk · safe · pitch · press

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. press — to push
  5. bass — the fish
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. last — final
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. swing — music
  17. press — newspapers
  18. bass — low music
  19. press — a publisher
  20. last — finally
  21. pitch — completely
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. swing — to play on
  24. last — to go on

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