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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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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: row · pitch · racket · rest · swing · bank · sharp · foot

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. swing — in golf
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. row — a line
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. sharp — clever
  8. rest — a break
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. row — to paddle
  12. rest — what's left
  13. foot — a measure
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bank — for money
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. rest — what's left
  22. pitch — completely
  23. swing — music
  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