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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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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 · ball · toast · rash · pound · pit · board · present

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. board — a committee
  3. swing — to play on
  4. toast — bread
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. present — a gift
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. pit — in a race
  10. present — there
  11. board — to get on
  12. ball — a dance
  13. rash — hasty
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. swing — music
  16. swing — in golf
  17. present — the time now
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. rash — a series
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. ball — a great time
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. pound — a weight

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