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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: mark · pitch · cap · swing · pitcher · rock · branch · lean

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. cap — a hat
  8. lean — to bend
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. swing — in golf
  11. mark — a trace
  12. lean — thin
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. cap — a lid
  15. rock — a stone
  16. mark — a grade
  17. rock — music
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. cap — of ice
  22. branch — a division
  23. swing — music
  24. swing — to play 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