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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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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: rush · scale · pit · patient · swing · racket · drill · club

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. club — for golf
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. pit — in a race
  5. drill — a practice
  6. scale — size or range
  7. rush — hurry
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. club — for dancing
  10. swing — to play on
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. swing — in golf
  14. drill — army training
  15. swing — music
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. scale — in music
  18. drill — the tool
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. club — a group
  24. pit — a hole

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