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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: march · mouse · bass · key · swing · pitch · pitcher · tear

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. march — the month
  5. swing — in golf
  6. key — the most important part
  7. march — the month
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. tear — from crying
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. tear — from crying
  14. bass — the fish
  15. key — in music
  16. tear — to rip
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. swing — music
  20. key — for a lock
  21. bass — low music
  22. march — music
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. swing — to play on

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