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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: pound · swing · can · firm · bank · race · pit · pitcher

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. swing — in golf
  3. swing — to play on
  4. race — a contest
  5. bank — for money
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pit — in a race
  9. firm — a company
  10. bank — for money
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. race — the arms race
  14. firm — steady
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. race — humankind
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. bank — of a river
  22. pound — a weight
  23. firm — decided
  24. swing — music

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