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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: wind · rash · pitcher · roll · present · swing · rest · bowl

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. swing — in golf
  7. present — there
  8. roll — a list
  9. wind — moving air
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. present — the time now
  12. rash — a series
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rest — what's left
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. rest — a break
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. present — a gift
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. swing — to play on
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. roll — a cake
  24. wind — moving air

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