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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: squash · perch · pitch · swing · tube · ball · board · stick

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. swing — to play on
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. swing — music
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. squash — to crush
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. pitch — completely
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. board — a committee
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. tube — the underground
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. board — to get on
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. ball — a great time
  19. perch — the fish
  20. swing — in golf
  21. squash — the sport
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. tube — a container

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