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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: pit · pitcher · swing · bank · pound · racket · roll · cabinet

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. pit — a hole
  4. pit — in a race
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pound — a weight
  7. roll — a cake
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bank — for money
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. swing — in golf
  15. bank — of a river
  16. roll — a list
  17. bank — for money
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. swing — music
  22. swing — to play on
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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