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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rash · racket · content · patient · toast · pitcher · trunk · swing

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. content — happy
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. toast — bread
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. swing — in golf
  8. rash — hasty
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. content — the amount
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. swing — to play on
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. swing — music
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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