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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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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: swing · kid · pitch · can · dip · content · rest · game

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. pitch — completely
  5. rest — what's left
  6. swing — in golf
  7. swing — to play on
  8. can — a tin
  9. dip — to sink
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. game — wild animals
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. can — to be able to
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. kid — child
  16. content — happy
  17. swing — music
  18. kid — to tease
  19. can — a tin
  20. content — the amount
  21. game — a match
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. rest — a break
  24. rest — what's left

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