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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: bowl · present · swing · mark · saw · stand · pitch · can

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. swing — music
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. mark — a grade
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — a tin
  8. present — there
  9. can — to be able to
  10. saw — the tool
  11. pitch — completely
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. swing — to play on
  14. mark — a trace
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. present — a gift
  18. swing — in golf
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. present — the time now
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. saw — the tool
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. stand — to bear

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