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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: swing · suit · rock · ground · date · wake · branch · pitch

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. swing — music
  4. ground — the earth
  5. wake — a trail
  6. rock — music
  7. pitch — completely
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. ground — a position
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. suit — clothes
  12. branch — a division
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. ground — crushed
  18. suit — to fit
  19. rock — a stone
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. date — the fruit
  23. suit — in cards
  24. swing — in golf

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