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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: pitch · fan · swing · ground · game · toast · suit · mouse

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. suit — to fit
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. suit — clothes
  8. ground — a position
  9. swing — to play on
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. swing — music
  12. game — wild animals
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. suit — in cards
  15. ground — the earth
  16. ground — crushed
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. toast — bread
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. swing — in golf
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. pitch — completely
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. game — a kind of play

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