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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wave · swing · hand · pitch · mate · fall · track · pop

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. pop — soda
  3. hand — in cards
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. track — to keep track
  6. pop — music
  7. swing — music
  8. pitch — completely
  9. track — a song
  10. swing — in golf
  11. fall — the season
  12. mate — a partner
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. swing — to play on
  16. mate — to breed
  17. fall — to drop
  18. mate — a friend
  19. track — a path
  20. pop — to visit
  21. hand — help
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. fall — to drop

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