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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: rush · temple · jam · pitch · race · squash · club · pound

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. pitch — completely
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. race — the arms race
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. club — for golf
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. race — a contest
  13. pound — a weight
  14. club — for dancing
  15. race — humankind
  16. club — a group
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. squash — to crush
  23. squash — the sport
  24. rush — hurry

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