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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.

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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 · fall · mate · nail · bass · pitch · bank · bowl

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bank — for money
  4. pitch — completely
  5. mate — a partner
  6. mate — to breed
  7. bank — for money
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. fall — the season
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. fall — to drop
  16. swing — in golf
  17. bass — low music
  18. bank — of a river
  19. mate — a friend
  20. fall — to drop
  21. swing — music
  22. swing — to play on
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. nail — for a hammer

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