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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: arm · bowl · race · racket · rash · swing · wound · pitch

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. wound — an injury
  3. swing — music
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. rash — a series
  7. swing — in golf
  8. swing — to play on
  9. wound — an injury
  10. race — a contest
  11. pitch — completely
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. race — humankind
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. rash — hasty
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. race — the arms race
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — a loud noise

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