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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 116 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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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: swing · wound · pitch · rash · wave · rest · mate · game

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. wound — an injury
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. game — a match
  5. rest — what's left
  6. swing — music
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. swing — to play on
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. pitch — completely
  11. rest — a break
  12. mate — a friend
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. swing — in golf
  15. game — wild animals
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. rash — a series
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. rash — hasty
  22. mate — a partner
  23. mate — to breed
  24. wave — of the sea

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