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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: bulb · rash · toast · fork · squash · pitch · bat · swing

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. rash — a series
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. swing — to play on
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. swing — music
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. pitch — completely
  15. squash — the sport
  16. squash — to crush
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. swing — in golf
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. toast — bread
  22. rash — hasty
  23. fork — in a road
  24. bulb — for light

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