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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: mug · tube · swing · bat · plane · wound · game · pitch

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. bat — the animal
  3. plane — a tool
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. mug — a face
  7. swing — music
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. swing — to play on
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. game — wild animals
  14. tube — the underground
  15. swing — in golf
  16. mug — a cup
  17. game — a match
  18. wound — an injury
  19. tube — a container
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. mug — to rob
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. pitch — completely
  24. bat — for baseball

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