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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 120 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
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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: lean · pitch · season · swing · face · craft · bowl · coach

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. swing — to play on
  3. swing — music
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. season — of the year
  8. lean — to bend
  9. swing — in golf
  10. season — in sport
  11. face — to confront
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. lean — thin
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. craft — a skill
  18. face — part of the head
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. face — to point toward
  23. craft — boats
  24. pitch — completely

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