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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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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: arm · coach · scale · bass · leaves · swing · pitch · field

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. swing — in golf
  4. field — for sport
  5. field — a subject
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. field — farmland
  8. bass — low music
  9. swing — to play on
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. pitch — completely
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. bass — the fish
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. scale — size or range
  24. scale — in music

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