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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: net · swing · bowl · squash · pitch · scale · bulb · coach

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. net — for catching
  5. scale — size or range
  6. scale — in music
  7. bulb — for light
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. net — after costs
  10. swing — music
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bulb — for light
  13. net — in sport
  14. pitch — completely
  15. squash — to crush
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. swing — in golf
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. squash — the sport
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. bulb — of a plant

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