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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: cue · pitch · pit · swing · drill · row · suit · rash

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. swing — music
  3. pit — in a race
  4. cue — for pool
  5. suit — to fit
  6. pitch — completely
  7. swing — in golf
  8. suit — clothes
  9. rash — hasty
  10. drill — army training
  11. row — to paddle
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. swing — to play on
  14. rash — a series
  15. drill — a practice
  16. suit — in cards
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. drill — the tool
  19. cue — a signal
  20. cue — a hint
  21. row — a line
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pitch — a sports field

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