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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: rock · cell · pitch · swing · key · patient · rash · court

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. rash — a series
  4. court — of law
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. court — for sport
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. swing — music
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. cell — a phone
  11. pitch — completely
  12. swing — to play on
  13. court — of a king
  14. key — in music
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. key — the most important part
  18. rash — hasty
  19. cell — in biology
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. rock — music
  23. swing — in golf
  24. rock — a 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